For several months now, the American company is faced with several accusations from individuals and associations, claiming billions of CFA francs in compensation.

There has recently been a new development in the legal proceedings against META, Facebook's parent company, in Kenya. In a Monday, Feb. 6 ruling, the Employment and Labour Relations Court Judge Jacob Gakeri refused to strike out a complaint filed by Daniel Motaung, a former South African Facebook moderator, who is suing the social technology company over a toxic work environment.

A few months ago, Meta decided to withdraw from the case, arguing that the Kenyan courts had no jurisdiction because its companies are not domiciled or do not operate in Kenya. The claim was denied, however.

"My finding is that (the) second and third respondent shall not be struck from the proceeding," Gakeri said, referring to Meta Platforms Inc and Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd which are "proper parties."

Last May, Daniel Motaung sued Meta and Sama, a Kenyan subcontractor responsible for part of the network's moderation. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, he sued the company, citing forced labor, random salaries, and the absence of union representation rights.

Like thousands of Meta staff, his job was to scan and report East and Southern African users' posts. In May, several months after he left the outsourcing company, he filed a complaint on 27 counts including torture, exploitation, and discrimination. The judge said the next step in the case has been scheduled for March 8, including a hearing.

In Kenya, Meta is also being sued by two Ethiopian researchers and a Kenyan rights group who accuse the company of allowing violent and hateful messages from Ethiopia on Facebook, thereby stoking up the Ethiopian civil war.

Samira Njoya