Asia | Algorithms and the law

Can Facebook be blamed for pogroms against Rohingyas in Myanmar?

Lawsuits in America and Britain seek billions of dollars in damages

Who is to blame?

THAT FACEBOOK was used to spread rhetoric that incited carnage in Myanmar is hardly up for debate. According to the lead author of a UN report published in 2018 the firm’s platform played a “determining role” in the violence inflicted on Rohingya Muslims by marauding Buddhists. Facebook acknowledges that it did not do enough to prevent its services from being abused. But whether it is liable for what happened is a trickier question.

This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Accounting for algorithms”

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