CONTENT MODERATORS SUE META IN KENYA FOR TRAUMA

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is currently facing trial in Kenya for allegedly infringing on workers' rights, in a landmark case highlighting persistent exploitation of Africans at the hands of powerful Western companies.

Since 2022, Meta has been slapped with a series of lawsuits by former content moderators who allege a third-party company, Sama, discriminated against them and arbitrarily terminated their contracts after they demanded for better working conditions. The tech giant argued that a Kenyan court has no jurisdiction over a US company, but last September, the High Court ruled the case can proceed to trial. Behind every flagged piece of content on your feed are workers who were exposed to disturbing imagery - violent assaults, child abuse, torture and sexual violence, for hours on end, without mental health support.

President William Ruto’s administration has bent over backwards to attract global tech firms, even when it means eroding worker protections. Industry players say strong ethical practices and labour laws are needed to protect locals from exploitation. Kenya Tech Workers United, an umbrella body of tech workers, has decried proposed changes to laws governing the country’s digital economy, saying they are designed to shield the likes of Meta at their expense.

Meta ceased its partnership with Sama in January, but former employees are still battling mental health conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression due to working in what a civil-rights activist describes as 'AI sweatshops.'

Sama came under fire in 2024 after a US television programme, '60 Minutes' (CBS News), exposed deplorable work conditions and low pay at its Kenyan operations. Workers reportedly earned $2 an hour instead of the agreed-to $12.50 per hour.

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/18/why-former-facebook-moderators-in-kenya-are-taking-legal-action

https://nation.africa/kenya/business/kenya-s-digital-workers-proposals-that-shield-tech-giants-4840270

https://nation.africa/kenya/business/technology/dark-reality-of-content-moderation-meta-sued-for-poor-work-conditions-4165190

https://time.com/6247678/openai-chatgpt-kenya-workers/

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/4/1/african-workers-are-taking-on-meta-and-the-world-should-pay-attention

https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Kenyan-workers-win-High-Court-appeal-to-take-Meta-to-trial