More than 1,000 low-paid Kenyan workers have been abruptly dismissed by Sama, a Nairobi-based outsourcing company that provided content moderation and AI training services to Meta, after the tech firm terminated their contract. Activists say the firings highlight the precarious nature of tech work in the global south.
Previous reports said some data-annotation employees were asked to review footage captured with Meta’s AI-enabled Ray-Ban smart glasses that reportedly included private scenes, such as people using toilets or engaging in sexual activity. The Oversight Lab, an advocacy group promoting fair technology deployment across Africa, said affected staff were given six days’ notice and that it was advising them on legal options.
A separate round of Sama layoffs in 2024 prompted a civil lawsuit from 140 moderators who alleged severe post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety after watching disturbing content. Meta paused work with Sama after the recent allegations about intimate footage filmed with the smart glasses. Meta said photos and videos are private to users, that humans review AI content with clear user consent to improve products, and that it ended the relationship because Sama did not meet its standards.
Sama said it recognised the impact on staff and was supporting affected employees “with care and respect,” adding that its teams receive living wages, full benefits, comprehensive wellness resources, full medical benefits and on-site counselling.
The Oversight Lab called the layoffs devastating and shocking, arguing current outsourcing strategies harm youth, hurt the economy and do not advance Kenya’s role in the AI ecosystem. Former Sama employee Kauna Malgwi said the episode underscores how power rests with large tech firms while risk is passed down to outsourced workers in the global south, who often have the least protection.
Separately, a Los Angeles jury last month found that Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube had deliberately designed addictive social media products that hooked a young user and led to harm.