Fresh Take on Meta Content Moderators' Struggles in Ghana
Investigators scrutinize reported deplorable work environment for Meta content moderators in Ghana
In the bustling heart of Accra, a storm is brewing over the working conditions of Meta content moderators, as troubling allegations about their mental health and labor practices emerge.
These moderators, who help scrub posts containing harmful content from Facebook and Instagram, have long been grappling with a challenging work environment — one that now seems to have reached a breaking point.
Legal experts from Accra-based Agency Seven Seven and London-based nonprofit Foxglove are delving into claims of moderators being exposed to distressing and graphic content, such as sexual assault and violence, without adequate mental health support. There are also accusations that workers have been terminated for attempting to organize a union.
Carla Olympio, founder of Agency Seven Seven, shared her concerns, "We're dealing with potential psychological injuries here." She has met with workers recently and reported widespread mental health issues, including PTSD, insomnia, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Foxglove founder Martha Dark concurred, stating, "The situation is pretty dire."
This investigation follows a series of labor-related lawsuits filed in Kenya over the past few years regarding conditions at the now-defunct content moderating hub operated by Meta. The Ghanaian hub, run by Teleperformance (a contractor for Meta), has until recently remained undisclosed to the public.
According to estimates, roughly 150 content moderators work for Meta in Ghana's capital City, employed by Majorel, a subsidiary of Paris-headquartered tech contractor Teleperformance.
One anonymous worker, who relocated to Ghana from East Africa, revealed to the Guardian that his job as a content moderator drove him to the brink of suicide. Employer-provided housing requires workers to share rooms, and the low base pay and an "opaque" salary structure incentivize moderators to view more and more content for bonus pay.
When contacted by AFP, neither Teleperformance nor Meta responded to our request for comment. However, a spokesperson for Teleperformance told the Guardian that they have "robust people management systems and workplace practices, including a robust well-being program staffed by fully licensed psychologists." They also defended their strong salary packages and benefits.
Meta responded to the newspaper, asserting that they take the support of content reviewers seriously. Foxglove is also part of the lawsuits in Kenya, where they accuse the Nairobi hub of illegally firing workers who advocated for better working conditions and unionization.
According to Dark, there is a way to ensure a safe working environment for content moderators, citing limits in Ireland on the amount of child abuse-related content police can be exposed to, as well as the provision of "proper psychiatric care."
AFP collaborates with Meta to provide fact-checking services in various regions, including Africa. However, as the focus on mental health and labor practices in Ghana intensifies, the social media giant may find itself facing increased scrutiny.
- The challenging work environment of Meta content moderators, who deal with distressing content like sexual assault and violence, needs to be addressed with proper mental health support, as suggested by legal experts and advocates like Carla Olympio and Martha Dark.
- In the debate over the working conditions of Meta content moderators in Ghana, it's crucial to implement measures similar to Ireland's limits on exposure to child abuse-related content and the provision of adequate psychiatric care, as proposed by Foxglove, to ensure a safe and healthy work environment for these individuals.
