tech
May 5, 2026
Data Privacy: Why Meta Called it Quits with Sama
Meta has ended its seven-year training-data deal with Sama, cutting 1,108 jobs and renewing scrutiny of human review of sensitive smart-glasses content
TL;DR
- Meta canceled its seven-year AI training data contract with Sama.
- The decision led to 1,108 Sama employees in Nairobi, Kenya, being made redundant with short notice.
- Some affected workers are involved in a lawsuit against Meta regarding working conditions and mental health harms from past content moderation.
- Investigations revealed that private footage from Meta's smart glasses, including sensitive material, might be viewed by Sama contractors.
- Meta states that subcontracted workers review content to improve the smart glasses experience, with faces blurred, and that media remains on-device unless shared.
- Sama maintains it consistently met all required operational, security, and quality standards for its engagements with Meta.
- Human review is part of a 'human-in-the-loop' process to improve AI accuracy and safety, but filtering failures have been reported in certain conditions.
- Concerns about the privacy safeguards of Meta's AI-enabled smart glasses, which can interpret images and sound, have been raised by advocates and regulators.
- The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has requested information from Meta regarding compliance with data protection laws for devices processing personal data.