Years after coming under scrutiny for contributing to ethnic and religious violence in Myanmar, Facebook still has problems detecting and moderating hate speech and misinformation on its platform in the South-East Asian nation, internal documents show.
Three years ago, the company commissioned a report that found Facebook was used to “foment division and incite offline violence” in the country. It pledged to do better and developed several tools and policies to deal with hate speech.
But the breaches have persisted since the Feb 1 military takeover this year that resulted in gruesome human rights abuses across the country.
Scrolling through Facebook today, it’s not hard to find posts threatening murder and rape in Myanmar.
One two-and-a-half minute video showing a military supporter calling for violence against opposition groups garnered over 56,000 views.
Another account posted a photo of soldiers leading bound and blindfolded men down a dirt path. The Burmese caption reads, “Don’t catch them alive.”
Despite the ongoing issues, Facebook saw its operations in Myanmar as both a model to export around the world and an evolving and caustic case.
Documents reviewed by AP show Myanmar became a testing ground for new content moderation technology, with the social media giant trialing ways to automate the detection of hate speech and misinformation with varying levels of success.
Facebook’s internal discussions on Myanmar were revealed in disclosures made to the US Securities and Exchange Commission and provided to the US Congress in redacted form by former Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen’s legal counsel.
Facebook has had a shorter but more volatile history in Myanmar than in most countries. After decades of censorship under military rule, Myanmar was connected to the internet in 2000.
Shortly afterward, Facebook paired with telecom providers in the country, allowing customers to use the platform without needing to pay for the data.
Use of the platform exploded. For many in Myanmar, Facebook became the internet itself. — AP
Three years ago, the company commissioned a report that found Facebook was used to “foment division and incite offline violence” in the country. It pledged to do better and developed several tools and policies to deal with hate speech.
But the breaches have persisted since the Feb 1 military takeover this year that resulted in gruesome human rights abuses across the country.
Scrolling through Facebook today, it’s not hard to find posts threatening murder and rape in Myanmar.
One two-and-a-half minute video showing a military supporter calling for violence against opposition groups garnered over 56,000 views.
Another account posted a photo of soldiers leading bound and blindfolded men down a dirt path. The Burmese caption reads, “Don’t catch them alive.”
Despite the ongoing issues, Facebook saw its operations in Myanmar as both a model to export around the world and an evolving and caustic case.
Documents reviewed by AP show Myanmar became a testing ground for new content moderation technology, with the social media giant trialing ways to automate the detection of hate speech and misinformation with varying levels of success.
Facebook’s internal discussions on Myanmar were revealed in disclosures made to the US Securities and Exchange Commission and provided to the US Congress in redacted form by former Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen’s legal counsel.
Facebook has had a shorter but more volatile history in Myanmar than in most countries. After decades of censorship under military rule, Myanmar was connected to the internet in 2000.
Shortly afterward, Facebook paired with telecom providers in the country, allowing customers to use the platform without needing to pay for the data.
Use of the platform exploded. For many in Myanmar, Facebook became the internet itself. — AP
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
