Kenyan firm sacks more than 1,000 workers after losing Meta contract
More than 1,000 low-paid workers in Kenya have been abruptly sacked by an outsourcing company contracted by Meta, in what activists said was a shocking move exposing the precariousness of tech jobs in the global south.Sama, a company based in Nairobi to which Meta outsourced content moderation and AI training work, announced on Thursday that the workers were being laid off after Meta terminated a contract.Last month reports said some Kenyan workers involved in data annotation were asked to view content filmed using Meta’s AI smart glasses showing wearers using the toilet or having sex.The sacked workers, many involved in AI training, have been given six days’ notice, according to the Oversight Lab, an organisation that advocates for fair regulation and deployment of technology across Africa.It said it was advising the workers on legal options.
After a previous wave of mass layoffs of Sama content moderators for Meta, in 2024 a civil lawsuit alleged severe PTSD, depression and anxiety among 140 workers as a result of sometimes horrific online content they had had to watch.Last month Meta paused its work with Sama after allegations about the workers viewing private scenes filmed using the company’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, regularly wears.“Photos and videos are private to users,” Meta said.“Humans review AI content to improve product performance, for which we get clear user consent.We’ve also decided to end our work with Sama because they don’t meet our standards.
”Sama said in a statement: “We recognise the impact this has on our team and are supporting affected employees with care and respect,”It said it was “a responsible corporate citizen”,“Our teams receive living wages and full benefits, and have consistently had access to comprehensive wellness resources, full medical benefits and on-site counselling support,” it said,The Oversight Lab called the layoffs devastating and shocking,It said: “The time has come for us to recognise that our current strategies are harming our youth, hurting our economy and in no way advance Kenya’s participation in the AI ecosystem.
”Kauna Malgwi, a former worker at Sama, said: “This issue is not confined to one company or contract,It shows how the global AI industry is shaped,Power sits with large technology companies,Risk flows downward, affecting outsourced workers, often in the global south, who have the least protection and highest exposure,”Last month a jury in Los Angeles found that Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube had deliberately designed addictive social media products that hooked a young user and led to her being harmed.
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FIA confirms F1 rule changes in reaction to driver unhappiness and safety fears
The FIA has confirmed rule changes for the ongoing Formula One season as the sport reacts to driver dissatisfaction and safety concerns with the new regulations. The adapted rules address the energy management issues that have proved controversial across the opening three meetings this year.Technical and sporting considerations had been discussed twice since the last round in Japan and on Monday senior representatives, including the FIA, team principals and their chief executives, the power unit manufacturers and F1’s chief executive, Stefano Domenicali, formally agreed the changes. They remain subject to ratification by the world motorsport council, a formality expected to be concluded before the next round in Miami on 3 May.There has been disquiet among many drivers at the role energy management now plays in the sport with an almost 50-50 split between power from the combustion engine and electrical energy
County cricket: Abell defies Hampshire’s fiery Baker to keep Somerset on high – as it happened
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