More than 1,000 low-paid workers in Kenya have been abruptly sacked by an outsourcing company contracted by Meta, in what activists said was a shocking move exposing the precariousness of tech jobs in the global south.

Sama, a company based in Nairobi to which Meta outsourced content moderation and AI training work, announced on Thursday that the workers were being laid off after Meta terminated a contract.

Last month reports said some Kenyan workers involved in data annotation were asked to view content filmed using Meta’s AI smart glasses showing wearers using the toilet or having sex.

The sacked workers, many involved in AI training, have been given six days’ notice, according to the Oversight Lab, an organisation that advocates for fair regulation and deployment of technology across Africa. It said it was advising the workers on legal options.

After a previous wave of mass layoffs of Sama content moderators for Meta, in 2024 a civil lawsuit alleged severe PTSD, depression and anxiety among 140 workers as a result of sometimes horrific online content they had had to watch.

Last month Meta paused its work with Sama after allegations about the workers viewing private scenes filmed using the company’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, regularly wears.

“Photos and videos are private to users,” Meta said. “Humans review AI content to improve product performance, for which we get clear user consent. We’ve also decided to end our work with Sama because they don’t meet our standards.”

Sama said in a statement: “We recognise the impact this has on our team and are supporting affected employees with care and respect.”

It said it was “a responsible corporate citizen”. “Our teams receive living wages and full benefits, and have consistently had access to comprehensive wellness resources, full medical benefits and on-site counselling support,” it said.

The Oversight Lab called the layoffs devastating and shocking. It said: “The time has come for us to recognise that our current strategies are harming our youth, hurting our economy and in no way advance Kenya’s participation in the AI ecosystem.”

Kauna Malgwi, a former worker at Sama, said: “This issue is not confined to one company or contract. It shows how the global AI industry is shaped. Power sits with large technology companies. Risk flows downward, affecting outsourced workers, often in the global south, who have the least protection and highest exposure.”

Last month a jury in Los Angeles found that Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube had deliberately designed addictive social media products that hooked a young user and led to her being harmed.