Kenyan tech workers call out US Big Tech for ‘modern-day slavery’

In a major transfer, 97 African tech workers concerned in AI coaching and content material moderation for main US companies like Meta and OpenAI have addressed an open letter to President Biden. The letter, printed on 22 May, accuses these firms of “systemic abuse and exploitation” of African workers and calls for pressing intervention.

The letter, first reported by Wired, was additionally cc’d to US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai. It coincides with Kenyan President William Ruto’s go to to the US to mark the sixtieth anniversary of US-Kenyan diplomatic relations and focus on commerce, funding, and technological innovation.

The workers allege that the practices of firms like Meta, OpenAI, and knowledge supplier ScaleAI “amount to modern-day slavery.” They describe extreme exploitation, together with mentally and emotionally draining duties reminiscent of monitoring distressing content material on social media and labeling knowledge for AI fashions, usually for lower than $2 per hour. They additionally spotlight the dearth of ample psychological well being help, which leaves many workers with post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD).

The letter particulars situations of union busting within the digital sector. For instance, when Facebook content material moderators in Kenya tried to unionize, your entire workforce was dismissed. Meta then shifted its moderation work to Ghana to keep away from accountability. An analogous incident occurred with Kenyan workers labeling knowledge for the US AI startup ScaleAI. In March 2024, ScaleAI’s outsourcing agency, Remotasks, abruptly exited the African market, leaving workers unemployed and owed important unpaid wages.

The letter additionally alleges that US tech firms usually take into account themselves above Kenyan regulation and ignore court docket orders. For occasion, regardless of a court docket ruling ordering Meta to pay Facebook moderators their salaries, the corporate has repeatedly ignored the order, leaving workers unpaid even a yr later.

The workers argue that their contributions are important for the usability of those platforms. Without their work, platforms like Facebook would turn out to be unmanageable, doubtlessly inflicting firms like Meta to lose billions. Despite this, they’re paid a fraction of what their US counterparts earn.

The letter particulars a number of key calls for:

• Engagement and transparency: The workers request to be concerned in any US-Kenya commerce negotiations and for draft texts to be printed to permit significant engagement.
• Labor protections: They urge for strong provisions in commerce agreements to forestall union busting, implement International Labor Organisation requirements, and guarantee penalties for non-compliance by US firms.
• Accountability: They call for US Big Tech firms to be held accountable in US courts for labor and human rights violations overseas.
• Respect for Kenyan Sovereignty: They emphasize the necessity for US-Kenya commerce agreements to respect Kenya’s Constitution and sovereignty.

The letter additionally highlights Kenya’s function as a serious tech hub, referred to as the “Silicon Savannah,” and the essential contributions of Kenyan workers to the tech trade. It calls for President Biden to honor his dedication to labor rights and “worker-centered trade” and to make sure that the advantages of technological developments don’t come on the expense of workers’ well being and well-being.