Facebook admits not doing enough to prevent Myanmar violence

Facebook is admitting that it didn't do enough to prevent its services from being used to incite violence and spread hate in Myanmar.

Alex Warofka, a product policy manager, said in a blog post that Facebook "can and should do more" to protect human rights and ensure it isn't used to foment division and spread offline violence in the country.

Facebook had commissioned the nonprofit Business for Social Responsibility to study the company's role in Myanmar and released the group's 62-page report late Monday.

Facebook has gotten heavy criticism for permitting itself to be used to inflame ethnic and religious conflict in the country, particularly against minority Rohingya Muslims. The report confirms this and offers recommendations, including preparing for "massive chaos and manipulation" in the country's 2020 parliamentary elections.

"Facebook has become a means for those seeking to spread hate and cause harm, and posts have been linked to offline violence," the report says.

"A minority of users is seeking to use Facebook as a platform to undermine democracy and incite offline violence, including serious crimes under international law."
Facebook and smartphones entered Myanmar quickly, and the report notes that this has led to a "steep learning curve for users, policymakers, and civil society."
At the same time, the report said, hate and harassment is leading to self-censorship among "vulnerable groups such as political activists, human rights defenders, women, and minorities."