200 Fired As Meta Shuts Down East African Office
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram is reportedly shutting down its East African office in Nairobi, Kenya, after its third party contractor, Sama, announced changes to its operation.
According to Financial Times, Meta first contracted Sama in 2017 to assist with labelling data and training its artificial intelligence, hiring around 1,500 employees.
But within two years, the Nairobi office was moderating some of the most graphic and harmful material on Meta’s platforms, including beheadings and child abuse.
Sama staff were told on Tuesday morning that the company would focus solely on labelling work — also known as “computer vision data annotation” — which includes positioning animations in augmented reality filters, such as bunny ears.
“The current economic climate requires more efficient and streamlined business operations,” Sama said in a statement encouraging employees to apply for vacancies at its offices in Kenya or Uganda.
Financial Times further reports that some Sama staff rely on work permits to remain in the region. Sama’s content moderation services will end in March, allowing for a transition period for Meta’s new third-party contractor. Meta will continue to employ 1,500 Sama staff for data labelling.
The news comes two months after Meta announced it would be cutting its global headcount by 13 per cent, or around 11,000 employees, as the social media company suffers from falling revenue, a slump in digital advertising and fierce competition from rivals including TikTok.