Meta is under scrutiny after terminating a contract with Sama, a company that employed Kenyan workers to train its AI, shortly after employees revealed they had reviewed graphic content—including users having sex—captured by Meta's smart glasses.
In February, workers told Swedish newspapers they had seen footage of intimate moments, including someone using the toilet and couples having sex, recorded by the glasses. Two months later, Meta ended its partnership with Sama, leading to 1,108 job losses. Meta claims Sama failed to meet its standards, a charge Sama denies. A Kenyan workers' group alleges the dismissals were retaliation for speaking out.
Meta has not addressed that allegation but stated it "decided to end our work with Sama because they don't meet our standards." Sama defended its record, saying it "consistently met the operational, security, and quality standards required" and was never notified of any failures.
The controversy began when Svenska Dagbladet and Goteborgs-Posten published accounts from anonymous workers who reviewed videos from Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. "We see everything—from living rooms to naked bodies," one worker said. Meta acknowledged that subcontractors might review such content to improve AI, calling it a common industry practice.
The revelations triggered regulatory action. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office wrote to Meta, calling the report "concerning," and Kenya's data protection office launched an investigation.
Meta's smart glasses, launched with Ray-Ban and Oakley, include features like text translation and object identification. However, privacy advocates worry about misuse, including non-consensual recording. In Kenya, the glasses have been linked to unauthorized filming of women.
Naftali Wambalo of the Africa Tech Workers Movement, involved in ongoing legal action over Meta's content moderation practices, believes Meta ended the contract to silence workers. "What I think are the standards they are talking about here are standards of secrecy," he said.
Mercy Mutemi, a lawyer for the petitioners, warned that Meta's actions should caution Kenya as it seeks to build an AI industry. "This is a very flimsy foundation to build your entire industry on," she told the BBC.