Meta up against UAS2.4bn lawsuit in Africa due to war content

(MENAFN) A Kenyan court has ruled that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, can face a $2.4 billion lawsuit for allegedly promoting hate speech that contributed to the ethnic conflict in Ethiopia. The lawsuit was filed by a group of Ethiopian researchers and Kenyan human rights activists, claiming that Facebook’s recommendation algorithm amplified violent content, fueling the two-year war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, which ended in November 2022.

The petitioners argue that the platform's algorithm promoted violent posts, leading to deaths and threats, including the killing of Professor Maereg Amare, whose home address and a post calling for his murder were shared on Facebook. Another claimant, Fisseha Tekle, who reported on war crimes in the Tigray conflict, also received death threats via the platform.

The plaintiffs demand that Meta implement more robust content moderation in Africa, increase pay and improve working conditions for moderators, and create a $2.4 billion restitution fund for victims of violence incited on the platform. Meta is also asked to alter its algorithm to prevent the promotion of harmful content and apologize for Amare’s murder.

However, Meta argues that Kenyan courts do not have jurisdiction over the case, as it is not registered in Kenya. This case follows a similar lawsuit filed against Meta in 2021 for its role in inciting violence in Myanmar, leading to the Rohingya genocide.

The ruling has been hailed by the Katiba Institute, which argued that the case shows the impact of big tech's harmful policies in Africa can be rightfully challenged in local courts. The war between Tigrayan forces and Ethiopia’s government, named the deadliest conflict of 2022, caused over 100,000 deaths and continues to have ongoing political ramifications.

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