Ethiopia Sees Online Boom but Faces Dangerous Rise in Social Media Hate Speech

Ethiopia has experienced a significant surge in internet usage, with the number of internet users reaching 20.86 million in 2023. This rapid expansion of online access has brought both opportunities and challenges for the East African nation.

While the growth in internet connectivity has opened up new avenues for communication, education, and commerce, it has also led to a concerning rise in hate speech and misinformation on social media platforms, primarily Facebook. A report by the Ethiopian Media Authority warns that this trend poses a serious threat to the country's social and political cohesion.

The report highlights that activists, politicians, and religious leaders are the primary sources of the 'high and dangerous' levels of hate speech being spread online. Much of this content is divisive, dehumanizing, and misrepresented, often focusing on political views, ethnic affiliations, religious beliefs, and gender.

Why this matters: The proliferation of hate speech on social media in Ethiopia corresponds with escalating conflicts on the ground, underscoring the real-world consequences of online discourse. Addressing this issue is crucial for maintaining peace and stability in a nation with a complex sociopolitical landscape.

Social media platforms have been criticized for failing to adequately address the problem, with 90% of reported hate speech content not being removed within the mandated 24-hour timeframe. The Ethiopian Media Authority's report also points out that these platforms do not provide reporting options in local languages, making it difficult for Ethiopian users to flag problematic content.

An extensive benchmark dataset of 8,258 annotated Amharic tweets, covering category classification, identification of hate targets, and rating of offensiveness and hatefulness intensities, reveals the prevalence of 'ethnic' and 'political' hatred targets with significant overlaps. This underscores the need for early interventions by stakeholders to prevent the escalation of online hate speech.

The Ethiopian Media Authority's report serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges that come with the rapid growth of internet usage in the country. It emphasizes the urgent need for social media platforms to improve their content moderation efforts and make reporting tools more accessible to Ethiopian users. As Yonas Mamo, Director of the Ethiopian Media Authority, stated, "Social media companies must take responsibility for the content on their platforms and prioritize the safety of Ethiopian users."

Key Takeaways

• Ethiopia's internet users reached 20.86M in 2023, but hate speech surged online.
• Activists, politicians, and religious leaders are primary sources of 'high and dangerous' hate speech.
• Hate speech targets ethnic, political, and religious groups, escalating real-world conflicts.
• Social media platforms fail to remove 90% of reported hate speech within 24 hours.
• Urgent need for platforms to improve content moderation and reporting tools for Ethiopian users.