Gig Workers Want Insight Into Platform Algorithms

Gig workers delivering passengers, groceries and restaurant meals are at the mercy of computer algorithms that could upend their workplace standing with little recourse. Now they’re asking for explanations about how the algorithms work and transparency into how decisions are made, according to a press release by the Workers Info Exchange (WIE) on Monday (Dec. 13).

The report, Managed by Bots: Data Driven Exploitation in the Gig Economy, outlines the harms inflicted by the workforce management systems used by platform companies and managed by algorithms. The report also reveals the roadblocks workers hit when trying to rectify the situation and summon their rights under data protection laws.

See also: Deep Dive: Why Paying Gig Workers More Quickly Is a Winning Proposition for the Businesses That Employ Them

“Workers are profiled and managed by opaque algorithmic systems, which determine how work will be allocated, to whom, how often, for what amount, and crucially, whether someone will be subjected to disciplinary action, including dismissals,” according to the report.

Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), intricate data systems tag every activity that could be deemed unusual; the burden of proof is on the worker. Because workers are clueless about the metrics and rules, their only recourse is to contest disciplinary action by doing their own investigations to piece together evidence of their innocence.

Related: Deep Dive: How Real-Time Payments Systems Can Solve Payroll Pains In The Gig Economy

“Over the past year, we have made over 500 subject access requests on behalf of workers, to counter these allegations and build collective power by addressing the informational asymmetry in the gig economy. Through this project, we have found an industry that is deeply hostile and resistant to the exercise of digital worker rights,” per the report.

Uber told the Financial Times that automation is utilized to detect fraud; however, a human makes the decision to terminate a driver only after reviewing the information.

Since April, WIE has been asked for help in understanding automated decisions by over 500 gig workers from Amazon Flex, Bolt, Deliveroo and Uber.

Also read: EU Gig Workers Could Be Reclassified as Employees

Privacy International and WIE are planning to launch a public petition from six gig companies demanding detailed information about how automated decisions are reviewed.