Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram owner and social media behemoth Meta was unable to prevent a Kenyan judge from hearing a petition alleging unfavorable working conditions at the firm.
A judge rejected Meta’s request to have the case dismissed on the grounds that Kenyan courts lack jurisdiction because Meta is neither based in Kenya nor does it conduct business there.
Daniel Motaung, a former content moderator who worked for the regional outsourcing firm Sama, claimed he was paid roughly $2.20 (£1.80) per hour to analyze messages concerning child abuse and beheadings.
Post-traumatic stress disorder developed in Mr. Motaung as a result of the work’s toll (PTSD). He claims he was let go for trying to establish a union to fight for improved working conditions.
“We are ecstatic by the decision. Irungu Houghton, the director of Amnesty International Kenya, told BBC Focus on Africa that it was not just historically significant but also of global significance.
Possibly for the first time ever in the global south, Meta is being tried in a court of law.
In addition, “content moderators will be protected in a court of law in the countries in which they live,” he claimed.
A separate lawsuit against Meta has been filed in Kenya on the grounds that Facebook’s algorithm encouraged the viral spread of violence and hatred during the civil war in Ethiopia.
One of those initiating the case against Meta is Abrham Meareg, the son of an Ethiopian academic who was shot dead after being abused in Facebook messages.
Both a $2 billion (£1.6 billion) fund for victims of hate crimes on Facebook and adjustments to the algorithm are demanded.
According to Meta, it extensively invested in technology and moderation to combat hate.
