IIITH Study Shows Gig Workers Game App Algorithms

Hyderabad: A recent study by researchers at the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) found that while algorithms of food delivery apps are imposing demanding targets on workers, the workers, in turn, are gaming them to make a decent living. The study, conducted by Prof. Nimmi Rangaswamy and her student Tanmay Goyal, examined the dynamics of food delivery work in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai and found that gig work is beneficial to workers in India and the Global South despite its demanding nature.

“While these algorithms are designed to streamline processes, the study found that they often impose demanding targets on workers, leading to stress and challenges in meeting performance metrics. The apps consider the workers’ employment history of only six months to reward or penalise them. If they had some tough-to-meet orders during that period, they are let go of the work,” explained Prof. Rangaswamy, a social anthropologist focusing on digital life and human-computer interactions.

She noted that while app-based gig work is considered a threat to workers' rights, unorganised and unstable in the Global North, it is quite the opposite in India and the countries of the Global South. "Despite the lack of regulation, the platform-based gig economy is one of the largest sources of employment in India. Despite the challenges posed by the algorithms, the gig workers have learnt how to game the system and make a decent living," she said.

“With our research, we wanted to do three things – show that gig work is working for the Global South and critique the understanding of the Global North, study the human-computer interaction aspect of platforms and the gig workers and examine this as a broad sociological discourse,” Prof. Rangaswamy explained.

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A study by IIITH highlights that despite problems, delivery workers adopt some strategies to game the system, such as cancelling orders or switching platforms when banned.

This flexibility offers workers some control over their work, making the gig economy appealing, especially in resource-constrained countries like India, where it is one of the largest sources of mass employment.

The study emphasised that while gig work presents challenges, it provides more stability compared to other informal jobs.

The study found that gig companies often impose demanding targets on workers, leading to stress and challenges in meeting performance metrics.

Workers’ employment history is limited to just six months of data, which the platforms use to reward or penalise them. If the workers cannot fulfill some tough-to-meet targets during this period, they are sacked.