Breaking News | Meta Sued for Allegedly Using AI Tools to Target Workers on Medical Leave in Layoffs

Twenty-six former Meta employees filed a federal lawsuit in Oakland, California, on July 14, 2026, alleging the company used internal AI tools to systematically target workers on protected medical and parental leave during its May 2026 layoffs. The plaintiffs claim a constellation of internal AI tools - including Metamate (Meta's internal AI assistant), employee-trained AI agents, and dashboards displaying AI token usage - evaluated productivity metrics and generated performance scores that ranked workers for termination.

The lawsuit alleges the scoring system failed to exclude workers on approved absences and effectively penalized them for exercising legal rights to protected leave. The case claims violations of federal and state laws protecting workers with disabilities and those on medical leave. Meta announced plans earlier in 2026 to cut approximately 10% of its workforce, equating to roughly 8,000 jobs. Meta denied the allegations, stating workforce decisions were and are made by people, not AI and that the claims lack merit.

• Discovery phase will reveal internal documentation showing how AI tools weighted performance metrics and whether leave status was excluded from algorithms

• EEOC investigation potential if the agency determines documented harm warrants federal employment discrimination review

• EU AI Act compliance review since the regulation classifies employment-related AI systems as high-risk requiring transparency and human oversight