A U.S. federal judge in Oakland, California, on Friday, July 17, 2026, declined to issue a preliminary injunction sought by 26 Meta Platforms employees who are challenging their impending layoffs. The workers, identified in court filings as Does 1–26, sued Meta on July 13, 2026, alleging the company relied on internal artificial-intelligence tools to select staff for mass terminations beginning July 22. According to their complaint, AI systems including a large language model called “Metamate,” related agents, monitoring data, and algorithmic rankings penalized employees on protected medical, parental, or family leave, as well as some workers with disabilities. The plaintiffs plan to pursue their claims in private arbitration.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.