Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a second set of lawsuits in Africa over the psychological distress experienced by content moderators who remove disturbing social media content.
The first lawsuit came in 2023 by content moderators in Kenya after they were diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder due to exposure to graphic social media content. Reports also claim that one man attempted suicide due to the nature of his work, and his contract was terminated.
The lawsuit is led by Foxglove, a UK-based nonprofit, which is working with a Ghanaian firm, Agency Seven Seven, to prepare two possible lawsuits. They address psychological harms and unfair dismissals.
According to reports by The Guardian, the lawyers are preparing for court action against Majorel, a company contracted by Meta, which employs about 150 people in Ghana. The workers claim they have suffered from depression, anxiety, insomnia, and substance abuse due to their work.
Social media platform Teleperformance, parent of Majorel, is being accused of unhelpful mental health care. The company denies this and claims it employs licensed mental health professionals.
Foxglove’s co-executive director, Martha Dark, criticized Meta for treating moderators as objects without care for their mental and physical well-being. Foxglove is seeking immediate changes to the content moderators’ workplace, including proper safeguards and psychiatric care.
