Myanmar Burning: Hatebook

The Investigations Lab student team contributed to a Reuters story exposing the weaponization of Facebook in the genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar. The story was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning series “Myanmar Burning,” which was honored “for expertly exposing the military units and Buddhist villagers responsible for the systemic expulsion and murder of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, courageous coverage that landed its reporters in prison.”

Students helped translate and collect more than 1,000 examples of posts, comments, images, and videos attacking the Rohingya or other Muslims in Myanmar. They systematically scoured Facebook and documented incidents of hate speech left on the platform over six years. 

The posts call the Rohingya or other Muslims dogs, maggots and rapists, suggest they be fed to pigs, and urge they be shot or exterminated. The material also includes crudely pornographic anti-Muslim images. The company’s rules specifically prohibit attacking ethnic groups with “violent or dehumanising speech” or comparing them to animals. Facebook also has long had a strict policy against pornographic content (Reuters).