Meta Faces $1.6 Billion Lawsuit Over Facebook’s Role in Fueling Tigray Conflict

Meta is facing a major lawsuit accusing it of allowing hate speech and violent content to spread on Facebook, allegedly worsening the Tigray war in northern Ethiopia. The legal action, backed by Amnesty International and other organizations, claims the platform’s algorithms amplified posts inciting ethnic violence, contributing to real-world harm and deaths.

Filed in the High Court of Kenya, where Meta’s sub-Saharan operations are based, the case demands the creation of a $1.6 billion compensation fund for victims of hate speech and violence propagated through the platform.

One of the petitioners, Abrham Meareg, said his father, an Ethiopian academic, was murdered in 2021 after being targeted with racist posts that Facebook failed to remove despite repeated complaints.

“If Facebook had properly moderated its content, my father would still be alive,” he said. “This case is about justice — not just for my family, but for millions of Africans harmed by Facebook’s pursuit of profit.”

Investigations by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and The Observer revealed that Facebook routinely allowed posts promoting violence and disinformation to remain online, despite knowing they fueled ethnic tensions in Ethiopia. One such post, calling for the “cleansing” of areas controlled by Tigrayan forces, reportedly stayed up for four months after being flagged. Families of victims say such content directly inspired attacks against Tigrayans in cities like Gondar.

Amnesty International, which supports the lawsuit, accused Meta of prioritizing profit over safety.

“Meta’s business model is built on engagement, even when that engagement spreads hate,” said Flavia Mwangovya, Amnesty’s deputy regional director. “This legal action is a crucial step toward holding the company accountable.”

Another petitioner, Fisseha Tekle, an Amnesty staff member, said Facebook’s failure to curb hate speech put human rights defenders at risk.

“In Ethiopia, people depend on social media for news. The disinformation and threats circulating on Facebook have endangered activists like myself,” he said.

A Meta spokesperson told the Associated Press that the company could not comment on ongoing litigation but emphasized that it bans hate speech and incitement to violence on its platforms. “We invest heavily in teams and technology to detect and remove violating content,” the statement read, adding that Facebook continues to improve moderation in Ethiopia’s main languages.

The case adds to growing criticism of Facebook’s global operations, especially in regions with low media literacy and limited local language moderation. The company has faced similar accusations elsewhere — notably in Myanmar, where it has been sued for more than £150 billion for allegedly enabling hate speech against the Rohingya minority.

Facebook has previously admitted it failed to act effectively in Myanmar, with a 2018 independent report concluding that the platform had become “a tool for those seeking to spread hate and cause harm,” and the UN later citing Facebook’s “leading role” in the possible genocide.