Facebook contractors have been fired by an algorithm. Numerous moderators apparently received instructions to apply again for a different position with a third-party labor supplier or find another job.
According to Business Insider on Thursday, Accenture, an Irish-US company that provides contract workers for Facebook, has informed roughly 60 individuals doing hourly jobs for the digital giant that their contracts are set to expire. Some alleged that they were informed that an algorithm had chosen them to be fired.
Accenture gave the bad news about the impending layoffs during a video meeting on Tuesday and a follow-up call the following day, according to the news source. As per reports, the employees were informed that their current contracts with Facebook, which changed its name to Meta last year, would expire on September 2.
People had to reapply for jobs with Accenture, according to representatives, and there was no certainty they would be hired. According to the article, the employees were assured payment till early October.
The names of everyone on the calls were redacted, one of the employees told Business Insider. This includes the Accenture staff members who, according to the source, did not introduce themselves. When asked how the employees facing termination were chosen, they were informed that “an algorithm” had assisted in selecting individuals at random, according to the source.
Accenture contested the accounts. According to Richard Keil, a firm spokeswoman, “we don’t use algorithms to randomly select people.” He emphasized that the reps were introduced during the call and stated that “it would be inaccurate to report there are layoff actions in Austin.” According to Business Insider, the phrase could have a strict legal connotation.
As per the source, the people who are about to lose their jobs at Facebook perform services such as content moderation and business-integrity services. Accenture has a $500 million annual contract with Facebook.
Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg warned that the firm was facing a time of hardship as its digital advertising division suffered a setback. Meta shares fell to an all-time low in February after a disappointing quarterly earnings report.
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