Meta Platforms is facing mounting pressure to explain its decision to terminate a major artificial intelligence training contract with Sama, shortly after allegations surfaced from Kenya-based workers about exposure to explicit content.
In February, employees at Sama told Swedish outlets Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten that they were required to review footage captured by Meta’s smart glasses. According to the reports, some videos showed highly sensitive and graphic situations, including individuals in private settings.
Less than two months later, Meta ended the contract, a move Sama says will result in 1,108 job losses. Meta maintains the decision was due to the contractor failing to meet its standards, a claim Sama strongly disputes, insisting it consistently met all operational and quality benchmarks.
A Kenyan workers’ organisation has alleged the termination may be linked to employees speaking out, though Meta has not directly addressed this claim. In a statement, the company reiterated that Sama did not meet its expectations.
The controversy has drawn regulatory attention. The Information Commissioner’s Office described the reports as “concerning” and has contacted Meta for clarification. Meanwhile, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has launched an investigation into potential privacy violations linked to the smart glasses programme.
The situation raises broader questions about data privacy, outsourcing practices, and the human cost of training artificial intelligence systems.
