Taking Facebook to court

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TECHNOLOGY | Content moderators claim they were unfairly fired

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Dozens of former content moderators for Facebook in Africa are suing the social media platform’s owner, Meta. Contracted through Kenya-based company Sama, the 184 moderators say they were unfairly terminated from their jobs for trying to form a union.

Facebook relies on roughly 15,000 content moderators to filter out graphic content. Contractor Sama laid off 260 moderators in March, following its January announcement that the company was changing its focus to video annotation. Meta is now contracting with Luxembourg-based Majorel—but when the laid-off moderators tried applying for jobs at Majorel, a recruiter told them candidates from Sama wouldn’t be considered.

One moderator, Trevin Brownie, told the BBC his firing seemed unfair given that he “sacrificed [his] human side” for the job. He said he’s become numb to graphic content after watching videos of child abuse, torture, and suicide bombings.

“I don’t think you can give any more than your soul, and then to be kicked out like this,” he said.

Attorney Mercy Mutemi is helping the plaintiffs sue Meta, Majorel, and Sama. A Kenyan court ruled Sama must keep paying them during trial.

Tweets and alternatives

Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter last year, the billionaire’s apparently chaotic policy changes have alienated many of the social media platform’s users. Some are moving to two new alternatives, Bluesky and T2.

Bluesky, backed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, already has 240,000 installs—but only about 20,000 people currently have log-in access to the invitation-only app. Bluesky looks and acts like a stripped-down version of Twitter.

T2, founded by former Twitter and Google staffers, had fewer than 1,000 users as of late April, when it began allowing users to send out invites. It also promises a Twitter-like experience—and a “legacy verification” system like the one Musk recently axed. —E.R.

Hackers haunt public charging stations

The FBI is warning Americans against the use of free phone charging stations. The bureau’s Denver office tweeted April 6 that hackers can steal data and implant malware via public USB ports in airports, hotels, or malls. Plugging a phone into a compromised port or cord could give hackers access to everything from passwords to photos. The FBI recommends using personal cords and standard electrical outlets to charge phones instead. —E.R.