Facebook takes action against hate speech

The South African Hindu Dharma Sabha (SAHDS) and the South African Hindu Youth Movement (SAHYM) have welcomed the decision by social media giant Facebook recently to effectively combat hate speech on its platform.

The organisations jointly lodged nine complaints with Facebook on 15 November regarding alleged racial and/or religious rants related to the use of fireworks during Diwali celebrations.

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President of the SAHYM, Vedhan Singh, said from around June to August 2020, and even well before then, civil rights groups organised a widespread advertising boycott to try and put pressure on Facebook to act against hate speech.

‘Social media, particularly Facebook, which should be used positively to enhance inter-racial as well as inter-religious tolerance and harmony, social cohesion, unity in diversity, peaceful co-existence and human solidarity has been misused,’ said Singh.

‘Malicious and manipulative persons have indulged in personal character assassination as well as peddling fake news.

Some unscrupulous persons have also exploited Facebook by posting content that may be deemed to be offensive, slanderous, defamatory, humiliating, hurtful or harmful.’

According to Facebook, the company began taking action against 22.1 million postings of hate speech in the third quarter, about 95% of which was proactively identified.

Taking action includes removing content, covering it with a warning, disabling accounts or escalating it to external agencies.

Facebook also said that it took action on 19.2 million postings of violent and graphic content in the third quarter.  

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