Samasource Impact Sourcing Inc. (Sama) has officially announced the redundancy of 1,108 employees at its Nairobi office. The decision follows a formal notice from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to terminate a major workstream that served as a cornerstone of Sama’s local operations.
The redundancy notice, issued on April 16, 2026, cites the conclusion of this client engagement as the primary driver. However, the timing suggests a deeper connection to mounting legal and regulatory pressures.
While Sama attributes this development to evolving client programs, the announcement comes amidst a long and public legal battle between the outsourcing firm, Meta, and former employees.
Sama and Meta have been embroiled in landmark lawsuits in Kenya’s Employment and Labour Relations Court for years. These cases, led by former content moderators like Daniel Motaung, allege human trafficking and unfair dismissal. Legal experts indicate that these cases will continue regardless of this new development, as petitioners seek over $1.6 billion in compensation.
Speculation is rising that Meta’s decision to close shop via Sama in Kenya may be a strategic retreat following a damning investigation by The Oversight Lab. On March 31, 2026, Kenya’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) confirmed a suo moto investigation into privacy violations involving Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
This happened after a disturbing joint investigation by Göteborgs-Posten, Svenska Dagbladet, and Naipanoi Lepapa. The report reveals that footage captured globally by these wearable devices is being routed to Nairobi, where Kenyan workers are tasked with reviewing and labeling the data, often with traumatizing results.
The data labeling, conducted at Samasource Kenya EPZ Limited (Sama), reportedly exposes workers to intimate and highly sensitive recordings. According to the report, annotators have been forced to view:
- Private bathroom visits and intimate moments.
- Sensitive financial information, including bank card details.
- Explicit content, including pornography.
- Conversations involving crime and violence.
With over 150 organizations signing a letter of support for the investigation, the regulatory heat in Kenya has reached an all-time high. By ending the Sama contract, Meta may be attempting to distance itself from the physical location where these privacy breaches were allegedly processed, even as the legal and regulatory battles move forward.