Kenyan Government Orders Facebook To Tackle Hate Speech Problem Immediately

For years, Facebook has faced criticism over how it handles hate speech around elections both in the U.S. and abroad. Now, a major African country is hitting back against the social media giant in. big way, giving the company one week to rein in its hate speech problem or face suspension.

According to advocacy group Global Witness, Facebook has accepted over a dozen ads that violate Kenya’s laws. For its part, Facebook said it has taken “extensive steps” to weed out this harmful content ahead of the election, but Kenyan officials aren’t buying it. That’s why the country has given Facebook seven days to figure out how to enforce its hate speech rules or else it will end its operations entirely.

“Facebook is in violation of the laws of our country. They have allowed themselves to be a vector of hate speech and incitement, misinformation and disinformation,” Kenyan official Danvas Makori said. “This country is bigger than a social media company or an entity. We will not allow Facebook, or any other social media company, to jeopardize security.”

Facebook doesn’t deal with this kind of bold action often, so this could serve as a blueprint for how countries get tough with the company moving forward.




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