Kenyan Facebook Moderators Sue Meta Over Severe PTSD and Exploitative Work Conditions
Nearly 190 content moderators allege exposure to graphic material caused lasting mental health harm and accuse Meta and its contractor of unfair labor practices.
- More than 140 former Facebook moderators in Kenya have been diagnosed with severe PTSD, anxiety, and depression due to their exposure to graphic content, including murders, suicides, and child abuse.
- The lawsuit, filed by nearly 190 moderators, accuses Meta and its contractor Samasource Kenya of intentional infliction of mental harm, unfair labor practices, human trafficking, and modern slavery.
- Moderators worked 8-10 hour shifts under intense monitoring, with minimal mental health support, and were paid significantly less than counterparts in the United States.
- Graphic content caused extreme physical and emotional reactions, including fainting, vomiting, and severe phobias, while some moderators faced threats from terrorist groups whose posts they moderated.
- Meta claims to provide counselling and technical tools to limit exposure to harmful material, but plaintiffs allege these measures were inadequate and that requests for psychiatric care were ignored.