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Meta Urged to Fulfill Responsibility and Provide Reparations to Rohingya Community
The upcoming annual shareholder meeting for Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is drawing intense scrutiny from human rights activists and organizations. Pat de Brún, who is the Head of Big Tech Accountability and Deputy Director of Amnesty Tech, has called on Meta to fulfill its responsibility to the Rohingya community in Myanmar and provide reparations for the harm caused by the company’s actions in 2017.
Meta’s Role in Ethnic Cleansing of Rohingya People
De Brún pointed out the overwhelming evidence that Meta played a key role in the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people in Myanmar in 2017. Facebook’s algorithms amplified the hatred against the Rohingya, which fueled mass offline violence. The Rohingya were subjected to unimaginable atrocities such as killings, torture, and rape, which resulted in the displacement of thousands of people. The vast majority of Rohingya survivors currently live in squalid refugee and internment camps under extreme conditions of deprivation.
Meta’s Need for Reparations and Human Rights Overhaul
De Brún urged Meta shareholders to demand that the company provide reparations to the Rohingya community as a first step in fulfilling its responsibility under international human rights standards. The company must also overhaul its overall approach to human rights to avoid the recurrence of violence and atrocities.
Meta shareholders currently have the chance to challenge the company’s business practices, including several resolutions that seek to improve human rights oversight and transparency in the company. One resolution demands an independent human rights impact assessment on Meta’s use of targeted advertising. Another resolution cites the company’s failure to publish its human rights impact assessment on India.
Amnesty International’s Petition for Reparations
Amnesty International has joined the call to action by submitting a petition demanding that Meta pay reparations to the Rohingya community. The petition has garnered thousands of signatures from Amnesty International members and supporters.
Meta’s Board’s Recommendations Rejected
De Brún expressed disappointment in Meta’s board’s recommendation to reject proposals to enhance human rights oversight and transparency in the company. He called on Meta shareholders to defy these recommendations and ensure the protection of individuals and communities across the world who remain at risk from the company’s reckless business practices.
The Reckless Pursuit of Profit at the Cost of Human Rights
In November 2019, Amnesty International released a report outlining how the surveillance-based business model of Big Tech companies, such as Meta, is incompatible with the right to privacy and poses a systemic threat to a range of rights including freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of thought, and the right to equality and non-discrimination.
Editorial: Holding Big Tech Responsible for Human Rights Violations
It is no secret that Big Tech companies have gradually become some of the most powerful entities in the world, with enormous control over the flow of information and the behavior of billions of people worldwide. Therefore, it is essential that these companies are held accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to respecting human rights. The case of Meta’s role in the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people is particularly disconcerting and revolting, making it all the more necessary to demand accountability and reparations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Meta needs to fulfill its responsibility to the Rohingya community in Myanmar and provide reparations for the harm caused by the company’s actions in 2017. Meta shareholders should take this shareholder meeting as an opportunity to demand that the company overhaul its approach to human rights, ensuring the safeguarding of people wherever the company is operating. Finally, the need for accountability in Big Tech companies grows with each passing day, as technology continues to shape our lives in ever more fundamental ways.
<< photo by Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz >>
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