‘Creating Chaos’

Report: Facebook Hate Speech Spiked During Rohingya Crisis

Social network was used to spread hate and propaganda.

Experts have blamed Facebook for creating “chaos” and aiding the spread of hate speech and disinformation about the Rohingya as the refugee crisis unfolded in Myanmar last year, when 650,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees were forced to flee to Bangladesh following persecution. Analysis showed that activity within an anti-Rohingya group with 55,000 members exploded in August 2017, with posts more than doubling in interactions. Digital analyst Raymond Serrato told The Guardian: “Facebook definitely helped certain elements of society to determine the narrative of the conflict in Myanmar.” Alan Davis, an analyst from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, said: “I really don’t know how [Mark] Zuckerberg and Co. sleep at night. If they had any kind of conscience, they would be pouring a good percentage of their fortunes into reversing the chaos they have created.” On Monday, Mark Zuckerberg admitted the use of Facebook against the Rohingya was “a huge issue.”