Facebook silencing reports on Rohingya crisis

Rohingya activists—in Burma and in Western countries—have said that Facebook has been removing their posts documenting the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya people in Burma. They said their accounts are frequently suspended or taken down.

The Rohingya people are a Muslim ethnic minority group who are facing extraordinary persecution and violence from the Burmese military.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh. Rohingya people trying to use social media to share information about the attacks on them and hope Facebook stops silencing them.

A Facebook representative said that the company would look into the situation. “We want Facebook to be a place where people can share responsibly, and we work hard to strike the right balance between enabling expression while providing a safe and respectful experience,” said Facebook spokesperson Ruchika Budhraja in a statement.

Facebook is currently facing substantial criticism for what appears to be an indifferent attitude toward promoting divisive material. Last week, ProPublica revealed that the network sold ads tailored to “Jew haters.”

Days earlier, The Daily Beast also reported that Russian front groups used Facebook to organize anti-refugee rallies.

UCJ, UNILORIN.