More than 1,000 workers in Kenya have been laid off by outsourcing company Sama after Meta terminated its contract with the firm. The layoffs were announced Thursday following Meta's decision last month to pause work with the Nairobi-based company.

Sama had been contracted by Meta to perform content moderation and artificial intelligence training work. The company specializes in providing these services to major technology firms using workers in Kenya and other developing countries.

Meta's decision to end the contract came after allegations emerged about staff members viewing private content filmed by smart glasses. The social media giant paused its relationship with Sama last month before ultimately terminating the agreement entirely.

The mass layoffs highlight the vulnerability of outsourced technology workers in developing countries, where major tech companies frequently contract work to take advantage of lower labor costs. These workers often face job insecurity despite performing essential functions for some of the world's largest technology platforms.

Sama's announcement of the layoffs came without advance warning to the affected employees, according to reports. The workers had been performing tasks including reviewing content for policy violations and helping train AI systems used by Meta's platforms.