An unusual class action lawsuit was filed this week against Facebook in a California state trial court on behalf of all Rohingya refugees in the United States who left Myanmar on or after June 1, 2012. It asks for $150 billion in damages for knowingly fueling anti-Rohingya sentiment that enabled the military government of Burma (Myanmar) to engage in ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya. The complaint (full text) in Jane Doe v. Meta Platforms, Inc., (CA Super. Ct., filed 12/6/2021), sets out product liability and negligence claims against Facebook, saying in part:
168. The design of Facebook’s algorithms and product resulted in the proliferation and intensification of hate speech, misinformation, and conspiracy theories attacking the Rohingya in Burma, radicalizing users, causing injury to Plaintiff and the Class, as described above. Accordingly, through the design of its algorithms and product, Facebook (1) contributed to the development and creation of such hate speech and misinformation and (2) radicalized users, causing them to tolerate, support, and even participate in the persecution of and ethnic violence against Plaintiff and the Class.
169. Because (1) the persecution of the Rohingya by the military government was widely known before Facebook launched its product in Burma and (2) Facebook was repeatedly warned after the launch that hate speech and misinformation on the system was likely to result in ethnic violence, Facebook knew and had reason to expect that the Myanmar military and non-Rohingya civilians would engage in violence and commit atrocities against Plaintiff and the Class.
According to the Rohingya Facebook Claim Website, lawyers plan to file a similar suit in the United Kingdom on behalf of Rohingya living elsewhere than the United States. A Letter of Notice has been sent to Facebook. CNN reports on the lawsuits.
