Response from Facebook
We are deeply disturbed by the violence that occurred in Sri Lanka this past March. We want to make sure that Facebook is a place where people can express themselves and connect with their friends, families, and communities, and we know this requires that our platform is a place where people feel safe. That’s why our Community Standards have clear rules against hate speech and content that incites violence, and we remove such content as soon as we’re made aware of it... Our approach to hate speech and incitement to violence—especially in conflict and post-conflict environments—has evolved over time and continues to change... . In Sri Lanka specifically, we’re actively building up teams that deal with reported content, working with civil society and government to better understand local context and challenges, and building out our technical capabilities so that we can more proactively address abusive content on Facebook. [[We’re also carrying out an independent human rights impact assessment of Facebook’s role in Sri Lanka to help inform our approach.]]... [W]e’re committed to having the right policies, products, people, and partnerships in place to help keep our community in Sri Lanka and around the world safe.