Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has ended its contract with Sama, a Kenya-based data annotation company, two months after workers reported viewing sensitive footage ranging from sexual activity to bathroom breaks recorded by Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
Ars Technica reports that Meta has terminated its business relationship with Sama, a Kenyan data annotation firm, following reports that contracted workers had viewed explicit and private content captured by Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The contract termination, which affected 1,108 workers according to Sama, occurred less than two months after the allegations became public.
In February, multiple workers from Sama reported viewing sensitive, embarrassing, and apparently private footage while performing data annotation work for Meta. The complaints were featured in a report by Swedish newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten, along with Kenya-based freelance journalist Naipanoi Lepapa. Workers described watching explicit footage shot from Ray-Ban Meta glasses, including people changing clothes, doing drugs, having sex, and using the toilet.
Sama, headquartered in Kenya, had been contracted by Meta to perform data annotation work involving video, image, and speech annotation for Meta’s AI systems used in Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The company’s workers were tasked with reviewing content to help improve the performance of Meta’s AI products.
A Meta spokesperson told Breitbart News, “Last month, we paused our work with Sama while we looked into these claims. We take them seriously. Photos and videos are private to users. Humans review AI content to improve product performance, for which we get clear user consent. We’ve also decided to end our work with Sama because they don’t meet our standards.”
Sama workers believe the contract was terminated in retaliation for speaking out about the disturbing content they encountered during their work. One anonymous Sama employee was quoted in the February report saying workers “are just expected to carry out the work” even when viewing private footage.
In its statement, Sama said it has “consistently met the operational, security, and quality standards required across all of our client engagements” and stands behind the integrity of its work. The company stated its focus is on supporting employees during the transition while continuing to deliver for its clients.
Ray-Ban Meta glasses are designed to display a light when taking photos or recording video. However, Sama workers reported in February that some users appeared unaware their glasses were recording. One anonymous employee was quoted saying that people “can record themselves in the wrong way and not even know what they are recording.”
The revelations have sparked increased scrutiny of Ray-Ban Meta glasses and their privacy implications. In March, a class-action complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California against Meta and Luxottica of America, Ray-Ban’s parent company. The complaint accuses Meta of violating state consumer protection laws and seeks damages, punitive penalties, and an injunction requiring Meta to implement changes to prevent consumer deception and legal violations.
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office also responded to the reports, stating it would send Meta a letter regarding the “concerning” reports from Sama workers. The data watchdog emphasized that devices processing personal data, including smart glasses, should provide users with control and appropriate transparency. The ICO stated that service providers must clearly explain what data is collected and how it is used.
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Read more at Ars Technica here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of AI, free speech, and online censorship.