Kenyan Court Rules Meta Can Be Sued Over Moderator Dismissals

A Kenyan court upheld a ruling allowing Facebook's parent company, Meta, to be sued over the dismissal of content moderators. The moderators, who were blacklisted after forming a union, claimed wrongful termination and poor working conditions. The decision affirms Meta's accountability in Kenya.

A Kenyan court has upheld a ruling that Facebook's parent company, Meta, can be sued in the East African nation. The case involves dozens of content moderators who were dismissed by contractor Sama last year for organizing a union.

The moderators accused Meta and two local contractors, Sama and Majorel, of blacklisting them from similar roles after losing their jobs. Efforts for an out-of-court settlement fell through in October of the previous year.

In its decision on Friday, the Court of Appeal reinforced a prior labor court ruling from April 2023 that Meta could stand trial. The Court also upheld a separate February 2023 ruling allowing Meta to be sued over poor working conditions. "The appellants' appeals are devoid of merit and are hereby dismissed with costs to the respondents," the three judges wrote in their ruling.

(With inputs from agencies.)