Meta has ended its contract with Kenyan technology outsourcing firm Sama. A while ago, reports emerged that workers had to review footage from Meta’s Ray-Ban AI smart glasses, including intimate and private user videos.
The move has resulted in approximately 1,108 workers losing their jobs. The decision comes less than two months after reports by Swedish newspapers Goteborgs-Posten and Svenska Dagbladet revealed that workers tasked with training Meta’s AI systems had reviewed clips showing users using the toilet, undressing, and engaging in sexual activity.
Meta said it ended the partnership because Sama did not meet its standards. Sama rejected the allegations and defended its work.
“Sama has consistently met the operational, security, and quality standards required across our client engagements, including with Meta,” the company said in a statement quoted by the BBC. “At no point were we notified of any failure to meet those standards, and we stand firmly behind the quality and integrity of our work,” it added.
In February, anonymous Sama workers described the disturbing nature of some of the footage they were required to review and annotate. “We see everything, from living rooms to naked bodies. There are also sex scenes filmed with the smart glasses, someone is wearing them while having sex,” one worker said.
Another worker said some users appeared unaware they were recording sensitive moments. “In some videos, you can see someone going to the toilet or getting undressed. I don't think they know, because if they knew, they wouldn't be recording,” the employee said.
Workers also claimed they felt pressured to continue reviewing the footage or risk losing their jobs.
The Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses allow users to interact with an AI assistant using the phrase “Hey Meta.” The device can activate its camera to record videos, take photos, and conduct first-person video calls.