Kenyan court allows case against Meta over content moderators" sacking

On Friday, a Kenyan labor court ruled that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, could be sued in Kenya regarding the mass termination of content moderators. This decision follows an earlier ruling affirming the court's jurisdiction over the case, which Meta had contested. The lawsuit involves approximately 185 content moderators from various African nations who were employed by a Meta contractor, Sama, in Nairobi. They are seeking $1.6 billion in compensation for their alleged mistreatment. The moderators claim that their work involved viewing disturbing content for extended periods, which adversely affected their mental health. They reported receiving a monthly salary of 60,000 Kenyan shillings (around $414) while lacking adequate support for their psychological well-being. The case is further complicated by a separate lawsuit filed by Daniel Motaung, another content moderator, who accuses Meta of exploitation and negligence regarding mental health issues. The legal battle has drawn attention from advocacy groups, including the U.K.-based organization Foxglove, which has criticized Meta for employing tactics to delay proceedings. The director of Foxglove expressed optimism that justice would ultimately prevail for the affected workers. The moderators' lawyer, Mercy Mutemi, emphasized the significance of the court's ruling as a victory for the plaintiffs. An attempt to reach an out-of-court settlement collapsed in October 2023, with the moderators' legal representative citing insincerity from Facebook as a key reason for the failure. The ongoing legal challenges highlight the broader issues of labor rights and mental health support for content moderators in the tech industry.