Facebook hit by French lawsuit over hate speech

PARIS: Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders announced Tuesday that it has filed a lawsuit against Facebook in France, saying the website breaks its own terms by failing to protect users against hate speech.

The Paris-based campaign group, known by its French acronym RSF, said it was taking Facebook to court for “misleading commercial practices”.

The US social media giant has allowed the “massive proliferation” of hate speech and false information on its site, RSF said.

The watchdog argues that while Facebook pledges in its terms of service to provide “a safe, secure and error-free environment” for users, it fails to do this as hateful content and misinformation are widespread on the site.

The legal complaint, seen by AFP,…