Africa: As Online Hate Speech Hits Africa, Social Media Firms Told to Act

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Social media used to be a source of light entertainment for Nora, a 47-year-old Zimbabwean domestic worker living in South Africa. But lately, it has become a source of fear.

As she scrolls through her Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, she finds posts blaming Zimbabweans for everything from crime and drug rings to corruption - the kind of xenophobic hate speech she worries could fuel violent attacks against migrants.

Earlier permits were first rolled out in 2009 to help regularise the status of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants who had fled economic and political turmoil in Zimbabwe, giving them the right to live, work and study in wealthier South Africa. "There is very little moderation because these narratives are shared in echo chambers, often in vernacular languages, so they fly beneath the radar," said Chenzi, who has been researching online hate speech since 2016.

Migrant rights groups say foreigners are often scapegoated for economic woes rooted in profound structural problems and the failure of successive South African governments to convert post-apartheid freedoms into widespread prosperity. Street protests and patrols - such as those led by the recent Operation Dudula, meaning"to push back" in the isiZulu language - also blame foreigners for crime and other problems.

Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)

 

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