Meta barred from sacking Facebook moderators in Kenya

A court in Kenya’s capital Nairobi has barred Meta, Facebook’s parent company, from laying off its content moderators pending the determination of a lawsuit that is challenging their planned dismissal.

The labour court also barred Meta and its outsourcing firm, Sama, from hiring other moderators to replace the sacked ones.

The lawsuit was filed by 43 Facebook moderators in Kenya, hired by Sama on behalf of Meta. They allege that the redundancy exercise being undertaken was unlawful.

The moderators told the court that they have been given “varying and confusing” explanations for the redundancy, Daily Nation reported.

At least 260 content moderators were set to lose their jobs, according to local media.

Meta and Sama have been given seven days to respond to the application.

The case will be heard on 28 March.