Media watchdog takes Facebook to French court in hate speech case

The Paris-based media campaign group, Reporters Without Borders, has filed a lawsuit against Facebook in France, saying the website breaks its own terms by failing to protect users against hate speech.

The Facebook logo. REUTERS - Dado Ruvic

The Paris-based campaign group, known by its French acronym RSF (for Reporters Sans Frontières), said it was taking social media provider Facebook to court for "misleading commercial practices".

The US social media company has allowed the "massive proliferation" of hate speech and false information on its site, according to RSF.

The watchdog argues that while Facebook pledges in its terms of service to provide "a safe, secure and error-free environment" for users, it fails to do this as hateful content and misinformation are widespread on the site.

Avis à la @CPUniversite, aux syndicats ou à nos plus grandes Universités qui pourraient s'inspirer de cette démarche de @RSF_fr.
Désinformation, menaces contre des journalistes : Reporters sans frontières porte plainte contre Facebook https://t.co/zq0iJL731I

— Gilles Bastin (@gillesbastin) March 23, 2021

The legal complaint, seen by the French AFP news agency, targets subsidiaries Facebook France and Facebook Ireland, through which the company conducts some of its French activities.

Death threats against Charlie Hebdo journalists

In particular, the complaint referenced death threats against journalists at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo posted on Facebook, as well as "Hold Up", a widely debunked French film about the coronavirus pandemic.

Companies found to have been involved in misleading commercial practices can be fined up to 10 percent of their average annual revenues in France.

Given that Facebook uses the same terms of service worldwide, the French court ruling "could have a global impact", RSF said, adding that it was considering "launching similar cases in other countries".

Social media in the judicial spotlight

Social media providers have faced a barrage of legal action in France in recent months.

Earlier this month 14 feminist activists took Facebook to court, arguing that Instagram, which it owns, had removed some of their posts while allowing other users to harass them with impunity.

Twitter is also the target of several French lawsuits.

(With AFP)