Following the revelation of private videos from AI glasses, Meta is now taking action. The tech giant is stopping its collaboration with the company in Kenya, while questions remain about where the Swedes' data goes.
Meta confirms it is ending cooperation with subcontractor Sama in Kenya, reports Göteborgs-Posten (GP). The decision comes after the revelation that private situations, such as going to the toilet and changing clothes, could have occurred at a tech company in Nairobi, Kenya.
”Last month, we paused our work with Sama while we investigated these reports. We take them very seriously. Images and videos are private to users. People review AI content to improve product performance, for which we get clear user consent. We have also decided to end our partnership with Sama because they do not meet our standards”, a spokesperson wrote in a statement.
Data flow is stopped - but question marks remain
According to sources, all projects linked to Meta's glasses were stopped immediately after the audit. This included materials such as video, audio and images used to train the AI systems.
— They shut down all projects that contained video, images and audio that we use to train Meta's AI models. This came after European data protection authorities started acting, says an insider.
At the same time, Meta does not provide any information on where European data is now processed, leaving key questions open.
Increased pressure behind the scenes
Following the suspension, employees report changes in working conditions and increased scrutiny. Pressure on staff is reported to have increased following the audit.
— After such revelations, it is common for the pressure on employees to increase, with tighter controls and attempts to trace who has spoken to the media, says Kenyan journalist Eric Mugendi, who specializes in these processes, If one person does something, everyone can be punished. And if you hear something - even if it's just a rumor without concrete evidence - it can still be used against you.
The questions remain
Several data protection authorities have now reacted and demanded answers from Meta. At the same time, the central question of control remains: how much of users' private material is leaving the country and who is reviewing it in practice?
The suspension of cooperation is a concrete consequence of the revelation. But how the systems will work in the future, and how users' privacy will be protected, remains unclear.
