Meta has lost its appeal regarding a ruling that permits it to be sued in Kenya for the termination of content moderators. The plaintiffs allege that the company dismissed them in retaliation for their efforts to establish a union. Today, the Nairobi Court of Appeals determined that Meta is subject to trial in Kenya concerning the dismissal of 185 content moderators, who are pursuing $1.6 billion (€1.43 billion) in damages.
In April 2023, a Kenyan labor court ruled that both Meta and Sama, the local contractor responsible for hiring the moderators, could face trial for discrimination and infringement of the moderators’ human rights. Meta’s appeal against this ruling has now been rejected.
Additionally, the Court of Appeals reaffirmed a ruling from February 2023, allowing for a lawsuit against Meta in Kenya concerning alleged inadequate working conditions.
Sama has previously refuted allegations regarding the imposition of low wages, psychological distress, infringement of privacy rights, and a lack of transparency in its recruitment practices. Following a Time investigation in February 2022 that revealed the company’s treatment of its workforce, Sama responded through a blog post on its website, asserting that its operations had “lifted more than 59,000 individuals out of poverty.”
Two weeks after the publication of the article, Sama declared a salary increase for its employees ranging from 30% to 50%. However, while the newly established minimum salary of $439 per month after tax, equating to approximately $2.20 per hour for a standard 9-hour workday, represents a significant increase from the previous rate of around $1.50 per hour, it remains considerably below the global salary standards within the industry.
The lawsuits against Meta and Sama serve as a crucial reminder for all multinationals to address the human rights abuses occurring within their supply chains.
