5/23/22, 2:34 AM Facebook blacklists Myanmar hardline Buddhist group | Frontier Myanmar Extremist monks Parmaukkha and Thuseitta join their fellow firebrand clergyman Wirathu on the blacklist, after he was banned in January. Activists have criticised the platform for responding too slowly to reports of malicious posts, with some content being shared by users for more than 48 hours before being removed. Examples include calls for the killing of a Muslim journalist and posts last September saying Buddhists and Muslims were each preparing attacks against the other. Activists flagged these repeatedly to Facebook but it still took several days for the platform to act. “We can do more, and we have been slow to respond,” admitted Facebook vice president of public policy in Asia Pacific Mr Simon Milner. He said Facebook is increasing the number of people working on Myanmar from Singapore and Bangkok, including those who speak the language, although declined to give specific numbers. The platform says it is also stepping up measures to prevent fake accounts and block repeat offenders while improving systems for users to report harmful content. Myanmar activists welcomed the high profile visit but urged the platform to be more transparent. “What is the time it takes to remove harmful content? How many people do we have in the team that speak Myanmar?” tech hub Phandeeya CEO Mr Jes Kaliebe Petersen asked. “Users deserve to know.” Facebook is caught up in a data sharing scandal that also stirred furious debate on its responsibilities for the content users share including “fake news” and hate speech. More stories ‘Watermelon suppression’: doxing campaign targets prodemocracy soldiers and police Military-linked social media accounts, mainly on Telegram, continue to dox activists and encourage violence, including assassinations. Although one of the most controversial accounts was recently removed from the platform, critics say Telegram is still not doing enough to regulate content. Related stories https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/facebook-blacklists-myanmar-hardline-buddhist-group/ 2/5