A Kenyan court has made a landmark ruling allowing a lawsuit against Meta, Facebook’s parent company, to proceed.
The case alleges that Meta promoted content that led to ethnic violence in neighboring Ethiopia during the 2020-2022 civil war in the Tigray region.
The plaintiffs, including two Ethiopian researchers and the Katiba Institute, claim that Facebook’s recommendation systems amplified violent posts, leading to real-world harm. One plaintiff, Abrham Meareg, alleges that his father was killed in 2021 following threatening posts on Facebook.
The court rejected Meta’s argument that local courts lacked jurisdiction, paving the way for the case to proceed. The plaintiffs are demanding that Meta create a restitution fund for victims of hate and violence and alter Facebook’s algorithm to stop promoting hate speech.
This case has significant implications for Meta’s content moderation practices globally. The company faces multiple lawsuits in Kenya, including cases brought by content moderators who allege poor working conditions and unfair dismissal.
