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Looks that kill real face11/25/2023 ![]() Meta has conducted multiple audits, including in 2018, contracting consultants Business for Social Responsibility to assess its human rights impact in Myanmar in the wake of a genocide that UN investigators alleged was partially fueled by hate speech on Facebook. “There have been instances in a number of industries where audits have been largely performative, just a little bit of theater to give to a global company a gold star so that they can say they're complying with all relevant standards,” he says, noting that it’s difficult to tell in advance whether a potential audit of TikTok’s moderation operations would be similarly cosmetic. Paul Barrett, deputy director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University, says that these audits can be a way for companies to look like they’re taking action to improve conditions in their supply chain, without having to make the drastic changes they need. Such an exercise, which often involves hiring an outside law firm or consultancy to conduct interviews and deliver a formal assessment against criteria like local labor laws or international human rights standards, “may mitigate additional scrutiny from union representatives and news media,” the memo said. Majorel has sites around the world, including in Morocco, where its moderators work for both Meta and TikTok. The TikTok documents show that the company is considering an independent audit of Majorel’s site in Kenya. If the Kenyan courts rule in the moderators’ favor, the memo warns “TikTok and its competitors could face scrutiny for real or perceived labor rights violations.” ![]() “TikTok will likely face reputational and regulatory risks for its contractual arrangement with Majorel in Kenya,” the memo says. Leaked documents obtained by the NGO Foxglove Legal, seen by WIRED, show that TikTok is concerned it could be next in line for possible litigation. ![]() The company also uses outsourced moderators in Kenya, and in other countries in the global south, through a contract with Luxembourg-based Majorel. Social media giant TikTok was watching the case closely. That means Meta can be sued in Kenya for labor rights violations, even though moderators are technically employed by a third party contractor. ![]() The US tech giant was, the court ruled, the “true employer” of the hundreds of people employed in Nairobi as moderators on its platforms, trawling through posts and images to filter out violence, hate speech and other shocking content. Last month, a court in Kenya issued a landmark ruling against Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram. ![]()
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