Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has lost a key appeal in Kenya, allowing a lawsuit filed by content moderators to proceed.
The Kenyan labor court ruled that Meta could be sued in the country over allegations involving the mass termination of content moderators employed through Meta’s contractor, Sama. The decision upholds a previous court ruling that Kenyan courts have jurisdiction over the matter, a point Meta had challenged on appeal.
Workers Demand Compensation
The case involves approximately 185 content moderators from several African nations, all of whom worked for Sama in Nairobi. The moderators are seeking $1.6 billion in compensation, arguing that their termination was unjust. Their lawyer, Mercy Mutemi, confirmed that the case would now move forward in Kenya’s labor court.
This lawsuit is the second against Facebook in the country, with the first being filed by Daniel Motaung, a content moderator who accused Meta of exploitation and of neglecting the mental health of moderators tasked with reviewing highly disturbing content.
According to the moderators, their jobs required them to review graphic content, including scenes of extreme violence, child abuse, and terrorism, for eight hours daily. They allege they were underpaid and received inadequate support for dealing with the psychological trauma resulting from their work. Moderators reportedly earned 60,000 Kenyan shillings (approximately $414) per month, with some accusing Sama of failing to provide sufficient access to professional counseling services.
The legal battle has drawn support from the U.K.-based non-profit Foxglove, whose director, Martha Dark, criticized Meta for using what she described as “legal tricks” to delay proceedings. Dark expressed hope that the moderators would ultimately receive justice.
James Irungu, one of the 185 moderators involved in the case, welcomed the court’s ruling as a “significant victory” for the workers. The moderators’ lawyer had previously criticized Facebook for a failed out-of-court settlement attempt in October 2023, alleging insincerity on Meta’s part.
This case marks the first known lawsuit of its kind against Facebook outside the United States. A previous U.S. case, settled in 2020, saw Facebook agree to pay $52 million to American content moderators who claimed similar mental health impacts from being exposed to graphic material while working for the company.
Featured Image courtesy of Stringer/REUTERS
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