As online hate speech hits Africa, social media firms told to act

From Ghana to South Africa and Kenya, rights groups warn that digital discrimination can lead to violence against migrants and other vulnerable groups. — AFP

JOHANNESBURG/NAIROBI: Social media used to be a source of light entertainment for Nora, a 47-year-old Zimbabwean domestic worker living in South Africa. But lately, it has become a source of fear.

As she scrolls through her Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, she finds posts blaming Zimbabweans for everything from crime and drug rings to corruption – the kind of xenophobic hate speech she worries could fuel violent attacks against migrants.