Meta terminates Sama contract after Ray-Ban AI glasses footage allegations
Updated
Updated · Futurism · May 3
Meta terminates Sama contract after Ray-Ban AI glasses footage allegations
10 articles · Updated · Futurism · May 3
The move followed February reports from Kenyan contractors who said they reviewed intimate recordings, including nudity, toilet use and sex scenes, captured by users of Meta's smart glasses.
Meta told the BBC Sama no longer met its standards, while worker advocate Naftali Wambalo alleged the termination was retaliation for staff speaking out; Sama denied any failings.
The allegations have intensified scrutiny of AI data-labelling practices and privacy risks around wearable cameras, prompting contact from the UK's ICO and an investigation by Kenya's data protection regulator.
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In April 2026, Meta abruptly ended its contract with Kenyan data firm Sama, causing over 1,100 workers to lose their jobs with little notice. This followed workers' earlier complaints about reviewing highly sensitive footage from Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which have design flaws allowing covert recording and persistent data collection. These issues sparked legal actions and regulatory probes in the US, UK, and Kenya, highlighting serious privacy and labor concerns. The controversy exposed systemic exploitation of outsourced workers facing trauma and poor conditions, while eroding consumer trust in AI wearables. Growing regulations and public pressure now challenge Meta to improve transparency, ethical labor practices, and device privacy to sustain the market’s future.