Social media network Facebook has taken down multiple racist and misogynistic posts about Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris.
What We Know:
- With the 2020 election being called for President-elect Joe Biden, many have taken to Facebook to post about their dissatisfaction. Social media has seen a rise in hateful content, most notably from Donald Trump supporters.
- BBC News reported to Facebook three hate groups who regularly posted hateful posts of Kamala Harris. The posts accused Harris of not being a US citizen because her mother is from India and her father is from Jamaica. Comments also surfaced that she is not “black enough” and should be “deported to India”. Facebook swiftly deleted the accounts.
- Facebook says 90% of hate speech is taken down before it is flagged, but critics believe this is not enough. Many believe that if the content were not reported, Facebook would ignore it. Media Matters President Angelo Carusone stated, “Facebook’s removal of this content only after it’s been flagged to them by the media confirms that the rules and guidelines they establish are hollow because they put little to no effort into detection and enforcement.”
- Carusone also described the hate groups as “low-hanging fruit” that Facebook doesn’t notice “until flagged by a third party”.
- Many seem to agree that Facebook is not doing enough to stop the hate. Anti-racism advocates argue that hate speech can even be promoted on Facebook. Rishad Robsinson of Stop Hate for Profit says Facebook has “created a set of algorithms that [sic] incentivize people to spread hate”. Recently, in August, hundreds of companies protested Facebook and refused to advertise with the company as part of the Stop Hate for Profit campaign.
Facebook users may have noticed warning labels under misleading posts. Whether Facebook will take a similar approach with hateful material or remove it altogether is unknown.
