Meta's African Content Moderation Partner Closes Down Operations

Meta Platforms, Inc's META principal subcontractor for content moderation in Africa, Sama, closed its content moderation arm at its hub in Kenya, citing the need to streamline operations.
Sama and Meta faced prosecution in East Africa for union busting and exploitation, TechCrunch reports.
A separate lawsuit urged Meta to increase its content moderation capacity in Kenya.
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Meta let go of 200 employees, representing 3% of its team, as it exited content review services and concentrated on labeling work.
Meta sourced the moderators from across Africa, and the closure will likely leave a section without work permits.
Meta first contracted Sama in 2017 to assist with labeling data and training its artificial intelligence, hiring around 1,500 employees, Financial Times reports.
But within two years, the Nairobi office moderated some of the most graphic and harmful material on Meta's platforms, including beheadings and child abuse.
Sama told staff to focus solely on labeling work, including positioning animations in augmented reality filters, such as bunny ears.
Sama emphasized more efficient and streamlined business operations encouraging employees to apply for vacancies at its offices in Kenya or Uganda.
Meta contracted Luxembourg-based Majorel to fill up the gap.
Daniel Motaung, a South African national and ex-Sama content moderator in Kenya, accused the two firms of forced labor and human trafficking, unfair labor relations, union busting, and failure to provide "adequate" mental health and psychosocial support.
Meta battled another lawsuit in Kenya for allegedly failing to employ enough safety measures on Facebook, which has, in turn, fueled conflicts that have led to deaths, including of 500,000 Ethiopians during the recently ended Tigray War.
Sama's content moderation services will end in March, allowing for a transition period for Meta's new third-party contractor. Meta will continue to employ 1,500 Sama staff for data labeling.
Price Action: META shares traded lower by 1.47% at $131.04 in the premarket on the last check Wednesday.

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