Sacha Baron Cohen dishes of harsh attacks on the spread of hatred on social media.

It has created a stir, that the 48-year-old british comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen, now a violent attack against social media.

It is, according to Cohen, especially Facebook, has a problem. The social media has developed into one of our time's "great propagandamaskiner", says the british comedian.

Cohen considers, that even Adolf Hitler would have been able to have some space to anti-semitic ads on Facebook, if the social networks had existed in the 1930s.

Sacha Baron Cohen, who among other things is known for satirical, fictional characters as "Ali G" and "Borat" has directed a broad attack against social media companies and in particular against Facebook.

In an acceptance speech for an award from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which is an organization that combats anti-semitism and discrimination in the UNITED states, says Cohen, that Facebook brings ads, without examining whether they are based on facts or fabricated allegations.

- In this crazed logic it's as if Facebook existed in the 1930's and would have allowed Hitler to bring the 30-second ads for its "proposals for the solution of the jewish problem", said Baron Cohen in a speech in New York.

A spokesperson for Facebook rejects the criticism and says that hate speech is prohibited.

- We can exclude people, if they have violent intentions, and we remove all, as expressing support for violence. No one - not even politicians - can call for Betwinner hatred, violence, or mass killings on Facebook, says the spokesperson.

Baron cohen's statements come the day after that, Google has announced that it will not allow political reklamemagere to use "micro-targeting" of messages based on the data gathered from browsers, political affiliation or other factors such as the use of YouTube.

Google has attempted to clarify its policy not to allow "false claims" in ads and political messages.

This is in continuation of the fact that Twitter has banned most forms of political ads. It happens after an increasing pressure from the social media to prevent the dissemination of misinformation and manipulation in the context of political campaigns.

Facebook are invited to follow suit, but according to the AFP news agency rejects internetgiganten to check political speeches and ads.

- So now we are faced with a good moral standard and a good practice. Start to check facts in ads, before they are put on the net, says Baron Cohen, who is highly skeptical of Facebook boss Mark Zuckerbergs statement that his company is "a bastion for freedom of expression".

- I think we all agree that we should not give snævertsynede fanatics and pedophiles a free pulpit to publicize their point of view and beat down their victims, he says, and calls for a fundamental new discussion on the dissemination of hatred, lies and conspiracy theories on social media.

/ritzau/AFP