London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 03, 2025

Complaint filed against Facebook over online hate and disinformation

Complaint filed against Facebook over online hate and disinformation

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has filed a complaint against Facebook in France, accusing the social network of not doing enough to prevent the spread of false information and hate speech.

Euronews has contacted Facebook for a response to the complaint, which has targeted the company's subsidiaries in France and Ireland.

"We have zero tolerance for any harmful content on our platforms and we’re investing heavily to tackle hate speech and misinformation," a spokesperson said.

In their terms of use, Facebook states that users are prohibited from sharing anything that "unlawful, misleading, discriminatory or fraudulent".

"We want Facebook to be a place where people feel welcome and safe to express themselves and share their thoughts and ideas," the spokesperson continued.

"We will exercise professional diligence in providing our Products and services to you and in keeping a safe, secure, and error-free environment."

The company has also stepped up efforts to combat the spread of online misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and says they have removed 12 million pieces of content containing harmful misinformation about the coronavirus.

But RSF has claimed that Facebook's commitments to its users are "largely based on false allegations".

"Facebook allows disinformation and hatred to spread ... in contradiction with its general conditions of use and its advertising campaigns," the organisation claimed.

The complaint has also alleged that Facebook has become "the primary hotbed" for baseless conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines in French-speaking communities.

RSF also cited a 2020 UNESCO report which identified Facebook as "the least safe" major platform for violence against women.

Among other evidence provided by RSF are death threats against Charlie Hebdo journalists and the posting of videos such as the documentary "Hold Up", which is accused of relaying conspiracy theories.

According to the NGO, Facebook's failure to tackle the spread of online hate and disinformation constitutes a "misleading commercial practice" under the French consumer code, an offence punishable by a fine of "up to 10% of average annual turnover".

RSF says they have filed the complaint in France because the country's consumer law is particularly well adapted, but have added that they are considering further action.

"As Facebook's terms of service are the same everywhere on the planet, a court ruling in France on their misleading nature could have a global impact," it said.

Facebook has not provided further comment on the legal proceedings but stated that they have "tripled" the size of their safety and security team in the last few years.

"Last month we also introduced special protections for personal Facebook profiles of journalists in France and other European countries," a spokesperson said.

"Our enforcement will never be perfect, but while nobody can eliminate misinformation and hate speech from the internet entirely, we continue using research, experts, and technologies to tackle them in the most comprehensive and effective way possible."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×