New Data Workers’ Inquiry Sheds Light On Tech Industry Exploitation In Kenya, Venezuela, And More

Data workers are exposing the severity of exploitation in the tech and AI industry through the Data Workers’ Inquiry.

As part of the community-based research project, 15 data workers joined the Distributed AI Research (DAIR) Institute as community researchers to lead their own inquiry in their respective workplaces. 

Funded by the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research (DAIR) Institute, Weizenbaum Institute, and Technische Universität Berlin, the project sheds light on labor conditions and widespread practices in the AI industry.

The Plight of African Content Moderators

Fasica Berhane Gebrekidan, an ex-content moderator for Meta’s Facebook, is one of the data workers taking part in the project.

She shared her firsthand experiences and those of her colleagues, shedding light on the conditions and mental health challenges faced by these workers.

Recruited in March 2021 by Meta’s subcontractor Samasource to work in Nairobi, Kenya, Fasica was among the 260 content moderators abruptly laid off in January 2023. 

The sudden termination followed Meta’s discontinuation of its contract with Samasource, leaving many without jobs or support.

Inadequate Mental Health Support For Content Moderators

Most of the moderators who gave interviews said that Sama tricked them in the initial stage, which was only three weeks of training sessions.

“What we saw at the training was just the tip of the iceberg, it didn’t seem scary or gore at first. Once we started working on production was where we started seeing the actual videos… all types of disturbing stuff started to come without warning,” said Bonolo Melokuhle from South Africa.

“At first, it felt awkward watching the nude and sexual content, then I started treating it as normal to a point that it seemed it wouldn’t affect my sexual life, but in reality, it actually did mess me up.”

The report also highlights the inadequate mental health support provided by companies like Samasource. 

The moderators have a 20-minute wellness break twice a week however, according to the report they have to beg for this on the group chat for it to be granted.

“The supervisors made it look as if the wellness break is not earned by endowed and it was later reduced to once weekly as a retention after the TIME magazine article,” said Ava Theodore from Kenya.

This lack of proper mental health care exacerbated the trauma experienced by content moderators, many of whom turned to pharmaceutical drugs and harmful coping mechanisms.

Calls for Industry Reform

The project’s findings show the urgent need for industry reform and government intervention to protect data workers. 

The exploitative practices of tech giants like Meta, which benefit from cheap labor through subcontractors while avoiding responsibility for the well-being of their workers, must be addressed the project states.

The Data Workers’ Inquiry Project advocates for better labor protections, mental health support, and solidarity among data workers to prevent further exploitation.