Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
IRGC statement: Repetition of evil will lead to the realization of the common aspiration of the Islamic nation and free peoples to eradicate the cancerous gland of Zion.
IRGC statement: Any repetition of evil will accelerate the collapse of the US military establishment in the region.
IRGC statement: US bases and mobile military targets in the region are not a strength of this national defense, but rather a weakness.
IRGC statement: Iran will not leave any attack on its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered under any circumstances.
IRGC statement: This base is the headquarters of the Air Force and the largest strategic asset of the terrorist American army in the West Asia region.
IRGC statement: We targeted Al Udeid base in Qatar with a powerful and devastating missile attack as part of Operation Annunciation of Victory.
Explosions heard across Doha: AFP journalists
Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Qatar temporarily closes its airspace "for the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors."
Al Mayadeen: Israeli warplanes raid the outskirts of Al-Aishiya and Al-Mahmoudiya, Southern Lebanon.
Israeli media: Direct damage from Iranian bombing of "Israel" in one week is estimated at approximately 5 billion shekels (about $1.35 billion)

Facebook fails to detect hate speech in Kenya ahead of elections

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 30 Jul 2022 15:15
3 Min Read

Global Witness and legal Foxglove investigated and found that Facebook failed to detect hate speech ads in the two official languages of Kenya: Swahili and English.

  • x
  • The advocacy group Global Witness says Facebook must take emergency steps to stop hate speech on the social media platform in the final days before Kenyans vote on August 9.
    Global Witness says Facebook must take emergency steps to stop hate speech on the social media platform in the final days before Kenyans vote on August 9.

The Kenyan national cohesion watchdog threatened Friday to suspend Facebook from the country if the big tech firm does not mitigate hate speech ahead of Kenya's general elections next month.

The regulator has given a deadline of one week to redress the issue, which included Facebook's approval of ads that advocate ethnic cleansing. The Facebook whistleblower and human rights organizations are demanding Facebook immediately suspend all ads in Kenya and take other emergency measures.

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) - a Kenyan agency established to reduce ethnic violence and promote national healing as a consequence of the 2007-2008 post-election crisis - told reporters on Friday that Facebook was "in violation of the laws of our country."

"They have allowed themselves to be a vector of hate speech and incitement, misinformation and disinformation," Danvas Makori, an NCIC commissioner stated during a briefing.

Last week, Facebook issued a press release in which it claimed to have eliminated harmful content in Kenya and praised itself for the many ways it was addressing problematic content. However, just after the statement, the company approved ads run in both languages, English and Swahili, created specifically to stir ethnic violence in Kenya, according to human rights groups.

"If Mark Zuckerberg chooses to sit on his hands, it will make it clear that for him, and for Facebook, American lives matter — Kenyan lives don't," said Cori Crider, a lawyer, investigator, and co-founder of a new non-profit, Foxglove.

Related News

500 Turkish ground forces arrive in Somalia amid al-Shabab attacks

RSF, allies, formalize vision for a parallel government: Report

In a statement, Global Witness said that it chose deliberately not to use the exact language used in the tests conducted on Facebook, but described the ads as "dehumanizing, comparing specific tribal groups to animals and calling for rape, slaughter, and beheading."

Meta, Facebook's parent company, claims to use a "combination of artificial intelligence, human review and user reports" to tackle harmful content and said that it's partnered with civil society organizations, "to ensure a safer experience across our technologies."

Following Meta's statement, Global Witness said it submitted more ads to see if Facebook had actually rolled out improvements that would better detect hate speech in ads, but Facebook failed those tests.

"Once again the ads we resubmitted in Swahili and English were approved," Global Witness said.

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen echoed Global Witness and Foxglove's calls to suspend all advertising in Kenya, stressing the safety of the Kenyan election" and adding that "after January 6, Facebook staff took urgent steps to restrict the most dangerous features on the platform, reducing violence and hate on the platform."

"They have also previously suspended ads. Given we now have evidence Facebook did not invest in basic Ads safety measures in Kenya - Facebook should suspend ads until the Election at a minimum," the statement read.

Read: Google, Facebook CEOs were aware of deal to control ad sales: lawsuit

General elections to elect a new president in Kenya and members of its National Assembly are scheduled to take place on August 9, 2022.

  • Kenyan elections
  • Whistleblower
  • Facebook
  • Hate speech
  • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Kenya
  • Genocide

Most Read

Iran launches 9th wave of Op. True Promise 3, destroys IOF air defense

Iran launches 9th wave of Op. True Promise 3, destroys IOF air defense

  • MENA
  • 17 Jun 2025
Israeli workers survey the site where a missile launched from Iran struck in Haifa on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

True Promise 3, wave 20: 40 missiles launched, Kheibar-Shekan in first

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025
Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025 (AP)

Wave 12 of Operation True Promise 3 launched, Sejjil deployed: IRGC

  • Politics
  • 18 Jun 2025
Iran launches missile barrage to Tel Aviv, casualties reported

True Promise 3, wave 14: Tel Aviv targeted, casualties reported

  • Politics
  • 19 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
Politics

Spain seeks immediate suspension of EU association pact with 'Israel'

Israeli settlers evacuate a building damaged in an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Tel Aviv streets ghostly; settlers flee under Iranian missile fire

Trump’s secret Iran strike uncovered in explosive CNN report
Politics

Behind the scenes: Trump's decision to strike Iran mapped - CNN

The oil tanker Palanca Rio arrives in Portland, Maine, the United States, Wednesday, April 2, 2025 (AP)
Economy

Oil prices spike as US-Israeli aggression on Iran sparks concerns

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS