Facebook admits not doing enough to prevent Myanmar violence

NEW YORK – Facebook is admitting that it didn’t do enough to prevent its services from being used to incite violence and spread hate in Myanmar.

A Facebook executive, Alex Warofka, said in a blog post late Monday that the company “can and should do more.”

Facebook has gotten heavy criticism for permitting itself to be used to inflame ethnic and religious conflict in the country, particularly against minority Rohingya Muslims. A report it commissioned confirms this and offers recommendations.

The non-profit Business for Social Responsibility released the report on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections, prompting critics to question its timing when so many people are focused on other news. Facebook says the report was focused on “Myanmar stakeholders,” for whom the U.S. elections are not a priority.