Facebook Content Moderators in Kenya Detail Alleged Poor Working Conditions

Facebook content moderators in Kenya have come forward to shed light on the alleged distressing working conditions they experienced while screening and moderating content for the social media giant, according to a report by AP.

Alleged Poor Working Conditions

Nearly 200 former employees have filed a lawsuit against Facebook and local contractor Sama, accusing them of subjecting the moderators to poor working conditions.

The moderators were based at Facebook's outsourced content moderation hub in Nairobi, Kenya, where they were tasked with reviewing and removing posts, videos, messages, and other content that violated the platform's community standards and terms of service.

Insufficient mental health support and inadequate compensation are among the grievances raised by the moderators. Earlier this year, Sama, the contracting company, laid them off, despite a court order to extend their contracts until the resolution of the case.

Nathan Nkunzimana, one of the plaintiffs and a former content moderator from Burundi, revealed the profound emotional toll of the job on himself and his colleagues.

He vividly recounted the distressing experience of watching videos depicting child abuse and violence, emphasizing that their work required them to bear witness to horrors to protect others.

Nkunzimana likened content moderation to being a courageous "soldier" willing to endure the hardships of repeatedly reviewing and removing graphic and harmful content, including instances of violence, suicide, and sexual assault.

Initially, the moderators took pride in their role, believing they were heroes protecting the community. However, the exposure to such alarming content triggered past traumas for some who had previously experienced political or ethnic violence in their home countries.

The alleged lack of support and a culture of secrecy within the workplace exacerbated their distress.

The moderators were subjected to nondisclosure agreements and were prohibited from bringing personal items, such as phones, to work.

Nkunzimana told AP that he is struggling to explain to his sons why he is no longer working and why they may face financial difficulties, as the salary for content moderators was just $429 per month.

According to Nkunzimana, Facebook contractor Sama did little to provide adequate post-traumatic professional counseling to the moderators in its Nairobi office. He claimed that counselors were ill-equipped to handle the emotional challenges faced by the moderators.

Meta and Sama's Responses

According to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, their contractors are legally bound to compensate employees above industry norms and ensure the availability of on-site assistance from trained professionals.

However, Meta declined to provide a comment regarding the specific case in Kenya. In response, Sama, the contracting company, argued that the salaries offered in Kenya were four times higher than the local minimum wage.

They further contended that a significant proportion of their employees were living below the international poverty line prior to their employment. Sama also affirmed that all employees had unrestricted access to personalized counseling, assuring them that there would be no negative consequences for seeking help.