Lawsuits Filed Against Meta in Ghana Alleging Neglect of Moderators' Mental Well-being
Meta Faces Legal Action in Ghana Over Content Moderator Psychological Harm
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is currently embroiled in at least two lawsuits in Ghana, where content moderators employed by Majorel (a company contracted by Meta and owned by the multinational Teleperformance) have reported suffering from depression, anxiety, insomnia, and substance abuse due to their work.
The lawsuits, filed by a legal team from UK-based nonprofit Foxglove and Ghanaian firm Agency Seven Seven, allege that Meta and its contractors have not adequately protected moderators from severe mental health impacts caused by prolonged exposure to distressing content. This includes horrifying videos depicting violence, murders, and child sexual abuse.
This litigation follows similar cases elsewhere in Africa, such as Kenya, where over 140 Facebook content moderators were diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from exposure to graphic content.
Workers claim that the company's wellness programs are ineffective and sometimes violate privacy by sharing personal disclosures with managers. They are pushing for immediate changes, including better psychiatric support and stricter workplace protections.
Meta requires contractors to provide counselling and above-standard pay, but contracts show base pay starting at just over £64 ($80) a month, far below Accra's estimated living costs. Teleperformance, Majorel's parent company, claims moderators are paid up to 16 times Ghana's minimum wage and live in upscale housing.
However, the situation is described as "the worst" globally in six years of working with moderators by Foxglove's Martha Dark. The lawsuits, which include one for psychological damages and one for wrongful dismissal, could set a major precedent in Ghana, recognizing psychological harm as a workplace injury.
The Ghanaian government is active in legislating on issues related to digital content regulation and media ethics, involving Meta indirectly in content takedown requests. However, these do not yet constitute direct state legal actions specifically targeting psychological harm to moderators.
In summary, the current legal actions against Meta in Ghana center on lawsuits filed by content moderators over psychological harm caused by their exposure to extreme and harmful online content, focusing on alleged human rights violations due to working conditions and mental health consequences.
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