Facebook’s inaction in curbing hate speech fuels anti-Muslim bigotry in India: Report
Islamabad: A damning report has exposed Facebook’s failure to effectively moderate hate speech on its platform in India, allowing extensive networks of pages to spread calls for violence and genocide against Muslims.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the report, titled “Preachers of Hate,” by Stitching The London Story, a Netherland bases human rights organization, highlights Facebook’s inaction on hate content and hateful actors targeting religious minorities in India.
The study found that fan page networks are using the platform to amplify hate speech, calls to violence, and incitements to genocide against Indian Muslims, with interactions spiking during controversies. The dangerous content identified falls under three themes: mobilizing Hindus against Muslims, xenophobic and ridiculing content, and calls for the elimination of Muslims.
Examples include videos of public speeches calling for the “elimination of Muslims and Islam” and likening Islam to “cancer.” Despite violating Meta’s community standards, Facebook has failed to enforce its policies, even when content was reported. The prolonged presence of these actors and their fan clubs on the platform highlights Meta’s inability to regulate its platforms effectively.
The report warns that without effective content moderation, Facebook’s inaction has serious human rights implications for Indian minorities and India’s democracy. It calls for urgent action from Meta to address the unbridled amplification of communal hatred on its platforms, which has deepened societal divisions in India.
