Facebook steps up efforts to tackle human rights abuses

Facebook is looking for a director of human rights policy to improve the way the social network tackles abuses on its platforms, according to a job ad posted Saturday.

The ad, posted on Facebook's careers site, explains that the new director will lead a team working "to act against those who would use Facebook to enable harm, stifle expression, and undermine human rights, and to support those who seek to advance rights, promote peace, and build strong communities."

The job comes with a number of responsibilities, including the following:

• ensuring that Facebook is a positive force for human rights
  
• representing Facebook with civil society, government, international institutions and industry
  
• driving investigations into and disruptions of human rights abusers
  
• crafting policies to counteract bad actors and to help ensure Facebook operates its platforms consistent with human rights principles
  

The new role is being advertised by Facebook in the wake of criticisms that it has failed to prevent the spread of hate and misinformation in Myanmar, where the UN human rights officials have said military leaders should be prosecuted for genocide against Rohingya Muslims. It follows similar criticisms from over 70 civil rights groups, dating back to 2016, which said Facebook was not doing enough to protect human rights.

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