UK: CSO coalition call for transparency from Deliveroo, JustEat & UberEats over "black box" algorithms' impact on workers
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In January 2025, a coalition of civil society organisations, including the TUC, Amnesty International, couriers’ unions and Privacy International, called for greater transparency from Deliveroo, JustEat and UberEats on how decisions are made on pay and access to jobs.
The coalitions says the use of “black-box” algorithms is “automating exploitation” by withholding information and exacerbating worker precarity. Workers allegedly are not provided with sufficient explanation regarding decisions on deactivation, work allocation and pay.
We believe the foundation of respect is transparency. Yet current systems withhold vital information from workers.Civil society coalition
Deliveroo told The Guardian its website carries information for riders regarding the algorithm, and termination of riders accounts as a result of “suspicious activity” was subject to human review.
Just Eat said its couriers earned more than the London living wage, and that it maintains an “open dialogue” with couriers.
The Guardian also approached Uber for comment.