Kenyan High Court to Hear Landmark Case Against Meta Over Ethiopian Conflict

The court ruled it has jurisdiction to proceed with a $2.4 billion lawsuit accusing Meta of amplifying harmful content during Ethiopia's ethnic violence.

• The Kenyan High Court ruled on April 3, 2025, that it has jurisdiction to hear a lawsuit against Meta over its alleged role in amplifying inciteful content during Ethiopia's 2020–2022 conflict.
• Petitioners, including Abrham Meareg and Fisseha Tekle, accuse Meta of using algorithms that promoted hate speech, leading to violence and human rights violations.
• The lawsuit seeks $2.4 billion in restitution for victims and demands systemic changes to Meta’s algorithms and increased content moderation in Africa.
• Meta has denied the allegations, plans to appeal the jurisdictional ruling, and argues that claims against it should be restricted to U.S. courts per its terms of service.
• The case is seen as a significant step toward holding multinational tech companies accountable for human rights abuses, with support from groups like Amnesty International and The Katiba Institute.

3 Articles

Amnesty International The Guardian