Kenyan court grants 21 days for Meta and content moderators to resolve dispute

The court has mandated mediation, with former Kenyan Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and labor commissioner Hellen Apiyo acting as mediators.

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A Kenyan court has given Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and a group of content moderators 21 days to resolve their dispute out of court. The numbering 184 moderators are suing Meta and its subcontractors, Sama and Majorel, alleging unfair dismissal after they organized a union.

They claim Sama fired them and prevented them from applying for the same roles at Majorel after Facebook changed contractors. The court order mandates that the parties attempt mediation for a settlement, with former Kenyan Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and Labor Commissioner Hellen Apiyo serving as mediators. If an agreement isn’t reached within 21 days, the case will proceed to court.

Why does it matter?

This case could impact how Meta engages with content moderators globally. Similar lawsuits have been filed against Meta in Kenya over working conditions at Sama and accusations of allowing violent and hateful content from Ethiopia on its platforms.