Meta sued over AI-driven layoff bias

On July 13, 2026, 26 current and former Meta Platforms employees filed a lawsuit in the United States — United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that Meta used internal AI systems to select workers for mass layoffs in May 2026, disproportionately targeting those on protected medical, parental, or disability leave. The plaintiffs claim that AI tools such as Metamate, productivity scoring, and keystroke monitoring penalized employees for time off, violating the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. They also allege Meta failed to test AI for bias under California and New York City laws. Meta spokesperson Andrew Stone denied the claims, stating workforce decisions were made by people, not AI. The layoffs affected about 8,000 employees (10% of workforce) as part of Meta's restructuring toward AI investments. CEO Mark Zuckerberg ruled out further company-wide layoffs. The plaintiffs seek an injunction to halt terminations set for July 22, 2026, pending arbitration. The case is assigned to Judge William Orrick. This is the first major U.S. lawsuit challenging AI use in layoffs. Separately, former director Nicolas Franchet sued Meta for age discrimination in earlier layoffs.