Facebook continues to face discontent on the grounds of freedom of expression.

Facebook shuts down a Somali activist’s page due to multiple reports.

Hanna Paranta, also known as Hanna Abubakar, says Facebook disabled her account, and she is not the only Somali to complain about the issue.

Hanna is a Somali activist who works as an advocate for women’s rights. She moved to Sweden when she was seven years old. Hanna helps victims of domestic violence and rape. She runs various charities in Somalia.   

She visited Somalia in 2020. She has expressed concern for the frequent shutdown of her social media handles.   

She reached out to the social media giant’s customer service, but nothing helped. She claims that all reports are false and aimed to stop her campaigns for women back in Somalia.   

A Supporter of Hanna found out that those who filed complaints against her account had a group with 300 members. Their chats discussed ways to report her to handle, so she discontinues her activism, published in BBC.   

Other Somalia journalists were barred from Facebook. 

Hanna is not the only Somalia speaker who has faced trouble to avail her freedom of expression.   

Ali Adan Mumin, an independent journalist in Somalia in 2019, received an email from Facebook stating that his account was suspended permanently due to a breach of Facebook’s community standards.   

Facebook suspended another journalist, Abdrazak Ali Hiran, ‘s account in 2019.   

Amnesty International reports that Facebook is a crucial platform for people to stay updated with current affairs, as the country is still unsafe for journalists and activists.

In its article, a quote stated that individuals have the right to know on what grounds their accounts got suspended.

And if even Facebook bars this freedom, Somalis might be left with any source of information.   

Facebook in backlash for promoting riots

While some countries label Facebook for curbing freedom of expression and the internet, developed and developing nations argue for Facebook’s unchecked content.   

During the first half of 2021, US Capitol riots broke out. Politicians held Facebook to be responsible for the violence.   

In an article by Financial Times, Mark Zuckerberg denies charges of Facebook being the breeding ground for the US Capitol violence. However, Mark accepted that Facebook needs improvisations.  

Countries and politicians allege that Facebook and other social media handles Twitter and WhatsApp to spread misinformation, hatred, and extremism.   

During the farmers protest in India, Twitter Deleted Around 250 Tweets for Being Fake Intimidatory and Provocative, According to NDTV.  

A few days back, the Supreme Court CJI Ramana expressed concern for the increasing communal hatred through social media. 

The article in India Today mentioned that social media spreads fake news and slanders the judicial system’s reputation.

Hence, the SC advised the Central government to investigate social and digital media regulations to curb the exploitation of freedom of expression.   

The statement came during the plea hearing for the communalism of the Tablighi jamaat gathering and the Covid-19 spread.  

Countries demanding transparency of social media 

In the wake of misinformation being a constant threat in the covid-19 situation, many countries have asked social media platforms to be more efficient in addressing wrong information.   

According to Notable Public Radio (NPR), the European Commission proposed rules and guidelines to curb misinformation, especially vaccines and other essential data.   

The Information Technology rules 2021, formulated by the Indian government to regulate information shared on social media.  

 While many countries claim to regulate social media to avoid exploiting human rights, some countries hope for the free algorithm of social media.  

Online portals contribute most of the news Arabs get. Damian Radcliffe published an article stating how 60 per cent of the world’s population is online, making it essential for journalists to be active on social media platforms to deliver the news.   

Facebook’s campaign for covid-19 

Facebook launched the #MyStory campaign to spread awareness among people. It includes 15-20 seconds long films showcasing personal and relatable Covid-19 related stories, reported by the Financial Express. Weber Shandwick India created the campaign.