Meta Platforms—Guardian/TBIJ investigation exposed Meta content moderators in Ghana facing suicide attempts, poverty wages, and dismissal for psychological distress
A joint Guardian and Bureau of Investigative Journalism investigation revealed Meta secretly relocated content moderation from Kenya to Ghana after facing lawsuits. Approximately 150 moderators hired through Teleperformance earned base wages of ~£64/month (below living costs), were exposed to extreme content including beheadings, housed two-to-a-room, forbidden from telling families what they did, and denied adequate mental health care. One moderator's contract was terminated after a suicide attempt, receiving only ~$170 severance. Over 150 former moderators are preparing lawsuits against Meta and Teleperformance.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Moderation | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Mental Health | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Worker Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.286 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (1 signal)
Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Guardian exposé on Meta's secret Ghana content moderation hub
Joint TBIJ/Guardian investigation revealed approximately 150 content moderators at Meta's secret Ghana hub (via Teleperformance) earned base wages of ~£64/month, were exposed to extreme violence and child abuse content, housed two-to-a-room, forbidden from telling families their employer, and denied adequate mental health care. One moderator was fired after a suicide attempt, receiving ~$170 severance. Over 150 former moderators are preparing lawsuits.