The Kenyan Employment and Labor Relations Court has ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear a case filed by Facebook content moderators challenging their unlawful termination of job.
Justice Nduma Nderi said it is immaterial whether the alleged violations occurred in physical or virtual space within the jurisdiction of Kenyan Courts.
Meta Platforms Ireland Limited had argued that they are foreign corporations who are neither formally present, domiciled nor trading in Kenya and the Kenyan court could claim jurisdiction of the petition.
“As there is no employer-employee relationship between the Petitioners and us, this court lacks jurisdiction over any purported dispute,” Meta told the judge.
However, Justice Nderi said the two had legally been placed within the territorial jurisdiction of the Court to enable them to defend the case brought against them by the petitioners.
The moderators filed the case in court and obtained orders to stop their mass sacking.
They told the court that they were engaged by Meta Platforms, Inc, and Meta Platforms Ireland Limited to work in Kenya.
They further submitted that Meta violated their rights and went far overboard by terminating their employment.
