In a startling revelation, more than 140 Facebook moderators in Kenya are taking legal action against Meta and its outsourcing partner Samasource. The moderators, who manage content for the social media giant, have been diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety disorders, and severe depression due to the traumatic nature of their work. This lawsuit is drawing widespread attention, with Meta responding to the claims. Want to know more about the shocking details of this case and the impact on Facebook’s workers? Keep reading!
Over 140 Facebook Moderators in Kenya Diagnosed with PTSD
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Samasource Kenya, operating in Kenya, is one of the subcontracted companies for the social media giant Facebook.
The company employs moderators on a contractual basis, who work between 8 and 10 hours a day at the facility in Kenya.
So, what do Samasource Kenya moderators do?
The company's employees are responsible for reviewing the content uploaded to the platform. They prevent harmful images from directly reaching the public by blurring or muting certain content. During their work, they are exposed to a wide range of violent content, from abuse to terrorism.
Dr. Ian Kanyanya, the head of mental health services at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, has made a collective diagnosis for some of the employees.
In a lawsuit filed by 140 employees, diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) were highlighted.
Among the significant details in the lawsuit, it was claimed that moderators showed reactions such as vomiting, fainting, screaming, and running away from their desks due to the disturbing images they witnessed.
Moreover, employees' family lives and personal circumstances were also affected. It was reported that at least 40 of the moderators in the lawsuit turned to harmful habits, and their marriages and families fell apart. The lawsuit also mentioned that these workers were paid eight times less than their colleagues in the United States.
In a case involving 190 moderators, with allegations of intentional mental harm, unfair labor practices, human trafficking, modern slavery, and illegal dismissal, it was found that 144 moderators suffered from PTSD, GAD, and MDD.
Meta and Samasource refused to comment on the allegations related to the lawsuit.
Meta stated that they "take the support of content reviewers seriously" and emphasized the details of contracts with moderators who manage content on Facebook and Instagram, including consulting, training, 24/7 on-site support, and access to specialized healthcare.
The company also mentioned the technical measures taken, stating, 'Techniques like blurring, muting, and monochrome processing are used to limit exposure to graphic material.' It was also noted that the salaries were above industry standards.