Meta Faces Legal Setback in Kenyan Labour Court Over Content Moderators

Meta, Facebook's parent company, lost its appeal in a Kenyan court, which allows 185 African content moderators to sue over mass job terminations. They seek USD 1.6 billion in compensation, citing exploitation and mental health impacts. This follows a previous case in the US where Facebook paid USD 52 million.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has faced a significant legal setback as a Kenyan labour court dismissed its appeal, permitting a lawsuit filed by 185 content moderators from various African countries to proceed. These moderators, employed by Meta's contractor Sama, claim wrongful termination and seek USD 1.6 billion in compensation. According to their lawyer, Mercy Mutemi, the moderators allege exploitation and mental health damage due to exposure to harmful content.

This case adds to Meta's legal woes in Kenya, where another lawsuit by content moderator Daniel Motaung accuses the company of damaging their mental health and poor employment practices. Although Facebook and Sama have defended their practices, the moderators claim they endured eight-hour shifts viewing disturbing content with minimal support, earning USD 414 monthly. The UK-based non-profit Foxglove, supporting the moderators, criticized Meta's legal tactics.

Significantly, this lawsuit is the first of its kind against Facebook outside the US, following a 2020 US case where Facebook compensated content moderators USD 52 million for similar grievances. The recent attempt to settle out of court fell through in October 2023, marking a pivotal moment in the Kenyan legal battle.

(With inputs from agencies.)