After two years of conflict, some Ethiopians point fingers at a new culprit. They say Facebook allowed hate speech and violence to spread in their nation. Two Ethiopians have filed a lawsuit against Meta, the company that owns Facebook.
In 2020, war broke out between Ethiopia and its Tigray region. The two sides finally reached a peace agreement this November. But tensions remain high. Some of Ethiopia’s allies kept fighting. Thousands have died in the conflict.
According to the petitioners (the people who filed the lawsuit), Facebook worsened the conflict. They say Facebook let users post hate speech. Even worse: Facebook allowed posts that incited violence. A series of posts called for the death of an Ethiopian university professor. Weeks later, he was killed. His son is one of the petitioners in the lawsuit.
To enforce its rules, Facebook hires content moderators. These moderators watch the platform to make sure users don’t break the rules. The petitioners say Facebook hasn’t hired enough moderators for Ethiopia. They also accuse Facebook’s algorithm of pushing hateful content.
Why would an algorithm drive hate speech to your feed? If you ask Facebook’s critics, it all comes down to money. If a post makes you feel scared or angry, you’re more likely to interact. The longer you interact, the more money Meta makes.
Ethiopia isn’t the first country to tussle with Facebook. In the United States, many blame Facebook for influencing elections and spreading misinformation. Some former Facebook employees claim the company values money above safety.
In Ethiopia, people speak several languages. That makes content moderation a challenge. According to a Facebook spokesperson, the company works to moderate content in Ethiopia’s most common tongues.
“We have strict rules which outline what is and isn’t allowed on Facebook,” he says. “Hate speech and incitement to violence are against these rules.”
But the Ethiopian petitioners know this already. They complain that Facebook hasn’t followed its own rules.
Platforms like Facebook give people a place to exercise free speech. But even in the United States, where the law protects free speech, it’s illegal to incite violence. The Ethiopian petitioners say Facebook allowed many calls to violence to slip through.
But there’s a deeper problem at work. It’s the problem of human sin. Social media platforms can’t solve hate and violence. Only God can do that, through the work of Jesus Christ, who takes away the sin of the world.
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. — John 16:33
(Ethiopians protest against foreign intervention in the nation’s conflict with Tigray. AP)
