Kenyan firm sacks more than 1,000 workers after losing Meta contract | Meta
More than 1,000 low-wage workers in Kenya were suddenly laid off by an outsourcing company contracted by Meta; activists said it was a shocking move that exposed the precariousness of tech jobs in the global south.
Sama, a Nairobi-based company to which Meta outsources its content management and AI training work, announced on Thursday that workers had been laid off after Meta terminated a contract.
Last month reports He said some Kenyan workers involved in the data release were asked to view filmed content showing users using the toilet or having sex, using Meta’s AI smart glasses.
The laid-off workers, many of whom were involved in AI training, were given six days’ notice, according to Oversight Lab, an organization that advocates for fair regulation and technology diffusion across Africa. He said he advised workers on legal options.
Following an earlier wave of mass firings of Sama for Meta content moderators, a civil lawsuit in 2024 alleged severe PTSD, depression and anxiety among 140 workers as a result of the horrific online content they were sometimes forced to watch.
Last month, Meta suspended work with Sama following allegations that workers watched private scenes filmed using the company’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regularly wears.
“Photos and videos are private to users,” Meta said. “People are reviewing AI content to improve product performance, and we have clear user consent for this. We have also decided to discontinue our work with Sama because they do not meet our standards.”
Sama said in a statement: “We are aware of the impact this is having on our team and are supporting affected employees with care and respect.”
He said he was a “responsible corporate citizen.” “Our teams earn a living wage, full benefits, and have had ongoing access to comprehensive healthcare resources, full medical benefits, and on-site counseling support,” he said.
Surveillance Lab called the layoffs devastating and shocking. “It is time for us to realize that our current strategies are harming our youth, harming our economy, and in no way advancing Kenya’s participation in the AI ecosystem,” the statement said.
Kauna Malgwi, a former employee of Sama, said: “This problem is not limited to a single company or contract. It shows how the global AI industry is shaping up. Power lies in the hands of big tech companies. Risk flows downward, affecting outsourced workers who often have the least protection and highest exposure in the global south.”
A jury in Los Angeles last month found that Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube knowingly designed addictive social media products that attracted and harmed a young user.
