Meta sued for allegedly using automated systems to rank employees for layoffs
A group of 26 employees has filed a lawsuit against Meta, claiming that the company used a complex array of internal AI tools and dashboards to select 8,000 workers for layoffs. The plaintiffs allege that these automated systems analyzed metrics like AI tool adoption and performance scores, which naturally disadvantaged employees on protected medical, family, or pregnancy leave. According to the complaint, this approach resulted in the disproportionate termination of workers with disabilities and those who had taken leave, violating several federal and state labor laws. Meta has denied the allegations, maintaining that all workforce management decisions were made by human managers rather than algorithms. The employees are now seeking a court injunction to block their upcoming terminations and demand an independent audit of the selection process.