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By MAHMOOD SANGLAY
More than 140 former Facebook moderators in Kenya have filed lawsuits against Meta Platforms Inc., alleging severe psychological harm and unfair labour practices. These moderators, employed through third-party outsourcing firms such as Sama and Majorel, were tasked with reviewing graphic and violent content, including scenes of murder, torture and abuse. Their work, essential to Facebook’s operations, ensured that harmful content was removed to maintain the platform’s safety and reputation.
However, moderators reported appalling working conditions, including low wages, inadequate psychological support and a toxic workplace culture. Despite repeated complaints about the emotional toll of their tasks, little to no action was taken to alleviate their suffering. The moderators also allege that they were often required to sign non-disclosure agreements, preventing them from speaking out about their experiences.
The lawsuits claim that moderators were exposed to content that left them with PTSD, anxiety and depression. Some moderators described nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and suicidal ideation, while others reported being summarily dismissed after raising concerns about their mental health. The case has ignited a global conversation about the ethical responsibilities of tech companies and their reliance on outsourced labour in low-income countries.
In recent years, the issue of digital colonialism has become an urgent concern in Africa. With Silicon Valley tech giants expanding their operations across the continent, their promises of economic growth and technological advancement have often masked a darker reality: exploitation, surveillance and systemic injustice. The plight of over 140 Kenyan Facebook moderators diagnosed with severe PTSD after being subjected to relentless exposure to graphic and violent content underscores this inequity. This case not only reveals the exploitative practices of tech corporations but also exposes how digital colonialism operates as a modern extension of imperialism.
Digital colonialism
The injustices faced by Kenyan moderators are not isolated incidents but rather symptoms of a larger structural problem: digital colonialism. Tech giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon have entrenched themselves in Africa under the guise of fostering digital inclusion and economic growth. However, their operations mirror classic colonial practices, where Western powers extracted resources, labour, and wealth from colonized regions while leaving behind economic and social devastation.
Tech companies dominate Africa’s digital infrastructure, including software, data storage, and connectivity. They control not only the tools of communication but also the flow of information, effectively monopolising the digital space.
Platforms like Facebook monetize user data, creating vast profits through targeted advertising and predictive analytics. In the process, user privacy is violated, and African users become commodities in an extractive economic system.
Kenyan content moderators are a glaring example of how tech giants exploit labour in the Global South. Paid a fraction of what their counterparts in Western countries earn, these moderators bear the psychological burden of maintaining Facebook’s image while being denied adequate support or recognition.
The dominance of platforms like Facebook and Google in online advertising has crippled local media outlets, diverting crucial ad revenue and diminishing the viability of independent journalism. Similarly, streaming services like Netflix pull audiences away from local television and film industries, undermining cultural sovereignty.
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In November 2024 Google reached out with a $6m fund to mitigate the impact of its online advertising monopoly on the revenue streams of local publishers in South Africa.
These exploitative systems reinforce dependency and perpetuate cycles of poverty and disenfranchisement, leaving African countries as consumers rather than creators of digital wealth.
The case of Israel and Palestine
The injustice of digital colonialism becomes even starker when analysed in the context of global geopolitics. Silicon Valley’s tech giants are not neutral actors. They are deeply embedded in the political and military agendas of Western powers, particularly the United States. Nowhere is this clearer than in their role in supporting Israel’s AI-powered systems of surveillance and military operations against Palestinians.
US tech companies have supplied advanced AI systems, predictive analytics tools, and cloud computing infrastructure to the Israeli military, enabling the surveillance and targeting of Palestinians infrastructure like mosques, educational institutions and other vital civilian targets. These systems are used not only for military operations but also to monitor and suppress dissent in occupied territories.
Photo: AP Photo/Yousef Masoud
Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have also been accused of systematically silencing Palestinian voices through algorithmic suppression and unjust content moderation. Palestinian activists and journalists often report having their accounts suspended or posts removed without explanation, while hate speech and incitement against Palestinians remain widespread and largely unchecked.
The complicity of Big Tech in Israel’s actions is not accidental but strategic. The technological dominance of these companies serves US geopolitical interests, reinforcing Western control over digital infrastructures worldwide and supporting allies like Israel in maintaining oppressive regimes. See our report on Big Tech’s complicity in violating the rights of Palestinians.
The Call for Accountability and Justice
The exploitation of Kenyan content moderators and the complicity of tech companies in geopolitical injustices point to a clear conclusion: Big Tech must be held accountable. Governments, civil society organisations, and global regulatory bodies must address the systemic issues underpinning digital colonialism.
Africa must enact robust data protection laws that prevent exploitation and hold tech companies accountable for how they handle user data and labour practices.
Ethical labour standards are inadequate with respect to remuneration, psychological support and workplace protections. Tech companies must be held accountable to ensure that outsourced labour adheres to international standards. Solidarity movements, activists, journalists and civil society must collaborate across borders to challenge the unchecked power of tech monopolies.
The digital sovereignty of African nations is routinely undermined. Africans must invest in building their own digital infrastructures to reduce dependence on foreign tech monopolies. In addition, international accountability mechanisms are lacking. There is an urgent need for global frameworks to monitor and penalise tech companies involved in exploitative practices and human rights violations.
The plight of Kenyan Facebook moderators is not merely a labour dispute. It is a microcosm of the broader injustices perpetuated by digital colonialism. The exploitation of African labour, the monopolisation of data and the complicity of tech giants in geopolitical oppression reveal a system that prioritises profit and power over human dignity.
To dismantle digital colonialism, we must reimagine the global digital economy with principles of equity, transparency, and justice at its core. The voices of Kenyan moderators, Palestinian activists and countless others affected by Big Tech’s imperialism must be confronted to build a truly inclusive and just digital future.
