Facebook loses jurisdiction appeal in Kenyan court paving the way for moderators' case to proceed

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Facebook loses jurisdiction appeal in Kenyan court paving the way for moderators' case to proceed

2024-09-21 03:10 Last Updated At：03:22

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Facebook ’s parent company Meta on Friday lost its appeal in a Kenyan labor court that ruled the company could be sued in Kenya over the mass sacking of content moderators.

The court had earlier ruled that Kenyan courts had jurisdiction over the matter, but Meta challenged the ruling on appeal.

The case filed by some 185 content moderators from different African countries who were working for a Meta contractor, Sama, in Nairobi will now proceed in the labor court, their lawyer, Mercy Mutemi, said Friday. They are seeking $1.6 billion in compensation.

Facebook is facing two lawsuits in Kenya, the first one filed by content moderator Daniel Motaung who alleges the company exploited him and his colleagues and damaged their mental health. The second case filed by 185 moderators challenges the termination of their employment contracts.

Facebook and Sama have defended their employment practices.

Some of the petitioners have told The Associated Press that their jobs required them to watch horrific content for eight hours a day that overwhelmed many of them while being paid 60,000 Kenyan shillings, or $414 a month. They accused Sama of doing little to ensure post-traumatic professional counseling was offered.

The Kenyan workers' case is supported by U.K.-based non-profit organization Foxglove whose director, Martha Dark, said Meta had played “legal tricks to delay the case” and expressed hope that justice would be served.

James Irungu, one of the 185 former Facebook content moderators bringing the case, said the ruling was “a significant victory.”

An out-of-court settlement agreed on in court collapsed in October 2023 after what the moderators’ lawyer termed as insincerity by Facebook.

The lawsuit is the first known court challenge of its kind against Facebook outside the United States. In 2020, Facebook agreed to pay $52 million to U.S. content moderators who filed a class action lawsuit after they were repeatedly exposed to beheadings, child and sexual abuse, animal cruelty, terrorism and other disturbing content.

AP PHOTOS: Shohei Ohtani's historic first season with the Dodgers

2024-09-21 03:18 Last Updated At：03:22

Shohei Ohtani’s historic first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers keeps hitting new heights.

He became the first player in major league history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, surpassing both milestones in Thursday night’s 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins.

Ohtani got to 50-50 in his 150th game, hitting three homers to reach 51 and swiping two bags to also reach 51.

He had already become the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, needing just 126 games.

He’s the only player to hit the 40-40 mark in the same game. He did it in style, too, on a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Aug. 23.

The Dodgers have clinched a postseason berth for the 12th consecutive season. It’s nothing new for them, but it is for Ohtani. He has played 865 games without making a postseason appearance, more than any other active player.

Ohtani made it clear in signing a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December that competing for a championship is what drives him.

“The No. 1 goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series,” he said last month.

AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/hub/MLB