Name: Facebook faces lawsuit alleging failure to remove anti-Muslim hate speech
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Facebook faces lawsuit alleging failure to remove anti-Muslim hate speech

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FollowThe nonprofit Muslim Advocates alleges in a complaint that Facebook is making false and misleading statements about removing harmful content.Corinne ReichertSenior WriterCorinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently oversees the CNET breaking news desk for the West Coast. Corinne covers everything from phones, social media and security to movies, politics, 5G and pop culture. In her spare time, she watches soccer games, F1 races and Disney movies.Queenie WongSenior WriterQueenie Wong is a senior writer for CNET News, who focuses on social media companies including Facebook's parent company Meta, Twitter and TikTok. She previously covered social networks for The Mercury News in San Jose. Before that, she wrote about politics and education for the Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon. A native of Southern California, she took her first journalism class in middle school.2 min readThe nonprofit civil rights organization against , alleging that the social media platform's executives make false and deceptive statements about Facebook's removal of hate speech and harmful content. Arguing that Facebook is "a cesspool for hate," the complaint alleges that Facebook's failure to remove such content has amplified anti-Muslim hate, with online and real-world consequences.According to the complaint, filed Thursday in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, Facebook CEO and other executives "routinely misrepresent the company's practice of routinely failing to enforce its standards and policies for keeping Facebook free of hate speech and other harmful content."Read also:&nbsp;"Anti-Muslim hate groups and hate speech run rampant on Facebook with anti-Muslim posts, ads, private groups and other content," the complaint alleges. "Armed, anti-Muslim protests in the United States have been organized on Facebook event pages."Facebook's execs have also falsely testified to Congress and falsely promised civil rights groups that when it becomes aware of content violating its policies, it removes that content, Muslim Advocates said. Facebook has been failing or refusing to remove such content even when notified by Muslim Advocates and others, the nonprofit alleged in a press release Thursday.The complaint asks that Facebook either stop misrepresenting that it will remove content that violates its hate speech policies, or "conform your deeds to your words.""Facebook has been used, among other things, to orchestrate the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar, mass murders of Muslims in India, and riots and murders in Sri Lanka that targeted Muslims," Muslim Advocates alleges. The complaint also points to when a gunman used the social network to livestream the mosque shootings in&nbsp; in 2019.A Facebook spokesman said 97% of the hate speech the social network removes is detected before a human flags&nbsp;it. "We do not allow hate speech on Facebook and regularly work with experts, non-profits, and stakeholders to help make sure Facebook is a safe place for everyone, recognizing anti-Muslim rhetoric can take different forms," he said.&nbsp;In January, Muslim Advocates also took issue with the Facebook oversight board's decision to &nbsp;by a Myanmar user who had posted photos of a deceased child with the caption "[there is] something wrong with Muslims psychologically.""It is clear that the oversight board is here to launder responsibility for Zuckerberg and [Facebook COO] ," Muslim Advocates spokesperson Eric Naing said in a statement in January. "Instead of taking meaningful action to curb dangerous hate speech on the platform, Facebook punted responsibility to a third-party board that used laughable technicalities to protect anti-Muslim hate content that contributes to genocide."A widespread movement in 2020 also for the month of July. Joining the campaign were Verizon, , PlayStation, , Volkswagen, Unilever, Clorox, Adidas, Ford and Denny's, among other big brands.Get the CNET Now newsletterSpice up your small talk with the latest tech news, products and reviews. Delivered on weekdays.

FollowThe nonprofit Muslim Advocates alleges in a complaint that Facebook is making false and misleading statements about removing harmful content.Corinne ReichertSenior WriterCorinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently oversees the CNET breaking news desk for the West Coast. Corinne covers everything from phones, social media and security to movies, politics, 5G and pop culture. In her spare time, she watches soccer games, F1 races and Disney movies.Queenie WongSenior WriterQueenie Wong...

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Corinne Reichert

CNET, formerly Computer Network, is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. Founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition in 2008.

Facebook faces lawsuit alleging failure to remove anti-Muslim hate speech

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