An Ethiopian man whose father was murdered during the country’s war has joined a lawsuit filed in Kenya against Meta, accusing Facebook’s parent company of fanning violence and hate speech in Africa.
The case filed in the High Court claims that Meta responded inadequately to hateful content on its platform, especially in relation to the war in Tigray that has raged for two years.
One of the petitioners said his father, an Ethiopian academic, was targeted with racist messages before his murder in November 2021, and that Facebook did not remove these posts despite complaints.
The petitioners are asking the court for the establishment of a 200-billion Kenyan shillings ($1.6 billion) compensation fund for victims of hate and violence incited on Facebook.