| Kenya labour court rules that Facebook can be sued |
| A labour court in Kenya has ruled that Meta, Facebook's parent company, can be sued after a former employee filed a lawsuit citing poor working conditions. Meta sought to have the case thrown out, arguing that courts in the East African country do not have jurisdiction over Facebook's operations. But Judge Jacob Gakeri said: "Since the petition has raised certain actual issues that are yet to be determined, it would be inopportune for the country to strike out the two respondents from the matter." Daniel Motaung has said that while working as a moderator for Meta in Kenya he was exposed to content including rape, torture and beheadings. He said this put his and his colleagues' mental health at risk, and Meta did not offer any support to employees. Motaung, who was employed in Facebook's African hub in Nairobi, which is operated by Samasource Ltd., also said he and colleagues were allegedly required to work unreasonably long shifts, and offered minimal pay. Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton termed the ruling as “historic,” adding “This is a significant step that ensures the authority of Kenyan courts to protect and enforce fundamental human rights . . . The social media platforms have serious impacts on people’s lives and societies. They must be more accountable.” |
|
