Facebook sued in Kenya over work conditions for moderators

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA and AMANDA SEITZ
Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Attorneys for a man who once worked as a content moderator for Facebook have filed a lawsuit accusing the company of exploitative and unsafe working conditions. The case against Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company, and the outsourcing firm Sama was lodged Tuesday with a court in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Foxglove, a London-based legal nonprofit that supports Facebook content moderators, said in a statement that Daniel Motaung’s petition “calls upon Kenya’s courts to order Facebook and its outsourcing companies to end exploitation in its Nairobi moderation hub, where content moderators work in dangerous conditions.” The lawsuit notes that content moderators must view “toxic content” including graphic violence, exposing them to mental health issues.