Meta appeals Kenyan court's decision it can be sued in Kenya

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium, 6 December 2022. Reuters/Yves Herman/File Photo

Facebook parent company Meta has filed an appeal in Kenya challenging a ruling that said the company could be sued in the East African country even though it has no official presence there.

A Kenyan labour court earlier this month ruled that Meta could be sued in the country after a former content moderator filed a lawsuit alleging poor working conditions.

In the appeal, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, the US company disputed the court's finding that Kenyan courts had jurisdiction over Meta.

Meta outsourced its content moderation work via Sama, a US-headquartered company with operations in Kenya. Sama said last month it would no longer provide content moderation services for Meta.

The lawsuit was filed by former content moderator Daniel Motaung on behalf of a group of former Sama employees.

It seeks financial compensation, an order that outsourced moderators have the same healthcare and pay scale as Meta employees, that unionisation rights be protected and an independent human rights audit of the office.