Amanda Reilly
@amandareillyinnz.bsky.social
I live in Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara, New Zealand where I teach and research the law of work.
Pinned
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Reposted by Amanda Reilly
In the Inequality.org op-ed, researchers Mishal Khan and Kung Feng lift up four core themes that emerged from their analysis of recent AI principles and statements released by unions and other worker organizations. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/a-first-look...
A First Look at Labor’s AI Values: An analysis of recent statements about technology by unions and other worker organizations
A first look at labor’s vision of what the future of AI and digital technologies should look like.
laborcenter.berkeley.edu
November 10, 2025 at 8:46 PM
In the Inequality.org op-ed, researchers Mishal Khan and Kung Feng lift up four core themes that emerged from their analysis of recent AI principles and statements released by unions and other worker organizations. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/a-first-look...
John Campbell asks is Uber's low pay model the future of work in New Zealand? I'd say, at the rate we are going, yes. More and more people are going to be employed by platforms and it's not clear those platforms will even be in New Zealand. www.1news.co.nz/2025/11/08/j...
John Campbell: Is Uber's low-pay model the future of work in NZ?
Will ACT minister Brooke van Velden's proposed Employment Relations Amendment Bill see more and more Kiwi workers toil for low pay with zero holiday and sick leave?
www.1news.co.nz
November 9, 2025 at 8:09 PM
John Campbell asks is Uber's low pay model the future of work in New Zealand? I'd say, at the rate we are going, yes. More and more people are going to be employed by platforms and it's not clear those platforms will even be in New Zealand. www.1news.co.nz/2025/11/08/j...
Reposted by Amanda Reilly
Real-time End-to-end Surveillance.
Meta - FB, Insta, WhatsApp - will read your DMs and AI chats, rolling out from Dec
Meta will soon be able to read users conversations via its AI function which cannot be turned off - if data protection laws don't stop them
www.thecanary.co
November 7, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Real-time End-to-end Surveillance.
It is beyond upsetting to me how after a tragedy of the magnitude of Pike River the government is weakening our occupational health and safety law. Anna Osbourne and Sonya Rockhouse are asking for signatures to their open letter to the government about this.
www.together.org.nz/stand_with_pik
www.together.org.nz/stand_with_pik
www.together.org.nz
October 30, 2025 at 10:50 PM
It is beyond upsetting to me how after a tragedy of the magnitude of Pike River the government is weakening our occupational health and safety law. Anna Osbourne and Sonya Rockhouse are asking for signatures to their open letter to the government about this.
www.together.org.nz/stand_with_pik
www.together.org.nz/stand_with_pik
I think the banner of democratisation is a fig leaf to what's really going on which is the dehumanisation, disciplining and disempowerment of ordinary people. Bad tech make us lonely, makes us stupid and makes us scared.
We keep seeing startups who want to replace something valuable (therapy, counseling, tutoring, artistic expression) with some tech bullshit under the banner of democratization. But why do we need to invest so much in bad tech that doesn't work instead of just giving people access to what they need?
October 29, 2025 at 2:04 AM
I think the banner of democratisation is a fig leaf to what's really going on which is the dehumanisation, disciplining and disempowerment of ordinary people. Bad tech make us lonely, makes us stupid and makes us scared.
Reposted by Amanda Reilly
Read more about the project at our website: www.dair-institute.org/projects/dri...
Worker Surveillance and Wage Theft
How algorithmic management and workplace surveillance allows corporations to steal wages, intensify poor working conditions, and evade responsibility.
www.dair-institute.org
October 22, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Read more about the project at our website: www.dair-institute.org/projects/dri...
Reposted by Amanda Reilly
🚨NEW🚨 from DAIR:
Today we are releasing "Driven Down", a new report on how workplace technology enables Amazon to steal wages, hide labor,
intensify poor working conditions, and evade responsibility.
Read the full report here: drive.google.com/file/d/1yBxy...
Today we are releasing "Driven Down", a new report on how workplace technology enables Amazon to steal wages, hide labor,
intensify poor working conditions, and evade responsibility.
Read the full report here: drive.google.com/file/d/1yBxy...
October 22, 2025 at 2:40 PM
🚨NEW🚨 from DAIR:
Today we are releasing "Driven Down", a new report on how workplace technology enables Amazon to steal wages, hide labor,
intensify poor working conditions, and evade responsibility.
Read the full report here: drive.google.com/file/d/1yBxy...
Today we are releasing "Driven Down", a new report on how workplace technology enables Amazon to steal wages, hide labor,
intensify poor working conditions, and evade responsibility.
Read the full report here: drive.google.com/file/d/1yBxy...
I think the Public Service Commission has breached good faith here see s32 (iii) of the Employment Relations Act
ie. "the union and the employer—
(iii)must not undermine or do anything that is likely to undermine the bargaining or the authority of the other in the bargaining"
ie. "the union and the employer—
(iii)must not undermine or do anything that is likely to undermine the bargaining or the authority of the other in the bargaining"
Regime would rather give money to foreign billionaires for facebook ads slandering public servants than negotiate with them in good faith.
Yeah, fuck them. Shut it all down. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Yeah, fuck them. Shut it all down. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Public Service Commission's ads targeting strike 'absolutely unbelievable' - Labour
The party is concerned the public service commissioner is acting in an "overly politicised way".
www.rnz.co.nz
October 21, 2025 at 3:17 AM
I think the Public Service Commission has breached good faith here see s32 (iii) of the Employment Relations Act
ie. "the union and the employer—
(iii)must not undermine or do anything that is likely to undermine the bargaining or the authority of the other in the bargaining"
ie. "the union and the employer—
(iii)must not undermine or do anything that is likely to undermine the bargaining or the authority of the other in the bargaining"
This is an upsetting article about the underpaid and exploited hidden human labour in the AI supply chain
www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/art...
www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/art...
Gruelling, low-paid human work behind generative AI curtain
For a generative artificial intelligence system to learn how to write an autopsy report, human workers must sort and annotate thousands of crime scene images.
www.bnnbloomberg.ca
October 18, 2025 at 12:44 AM
This is an upsetting article about the underpaid and exploited hidden human labour in the AI supply chain
www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/art...
www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/art...
Reposted by Amanda Reilly
Andrew Lensen and I have developed a fortnightly newsletter called The Reading List
It does exactly what it says on the tin: ten good, interesting or challenging things we've read, watched or listened to in the last fortnight. Did I mention its totally free.
open.substack.com/pub/lensenmc...
It does exactly what it says on the tin: ten good, interesting or challenging things we've read, watched or listened to in the last fortnight. Did I mention its totally free.
open.substack.com/pub/lensenmc...
The Reading List
10 high-impact reads and watches. Some old, some new. Delivered with no fluff or frills, and in no particular order.
open.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Andrew Lensen and I have developed a fortnightly newsletter called The Reading List
It does exactly what it says on the tin: ten good, interesting or challenging things we've read, watched or listened to in the last fortnight. Did I mention its totally free.
open.substack.com/pub/lensenmc...
It does exactly what it says on the tin: ten good, interesting or challenging things we've read, watched or listened to in the last fortnight. Did I mention its totally free.
open.substack.com/pub/lensenmc...
New Policy Brief by Data & Society "The Privacy Trap: How “Privacy-Preserving AI Techniques” Mask the New Worker Surveillance and Datafication"
datasociety.net/library/the-...
datasociety.net/library/the-...
The “Privacy” Trap
Corporations are rolling out new technologies that may technically comply with data privacy laws, but actually create more ways to control and exploit workers. This brief offers concrete principles fo...
datasociety.net
October 18, 2025 at 12:34 AM
New Policy Brief by Data & Society "The Privacy Trap: How “Privacy-Preserving AI Techniques” Mask the New Worker Surveillance and Datafication"
datasociety.net/library/the-...
datasociety.net/library/the-...
New report from the ITCU ituc-csi.org/Artificial-I... on why workers' unions must shape the deployment and regulation of artificial intelligence.
Artificial Intelligence: Workers' unions must shape deployment and regulation
The ITUC has released a new report on the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on working people, with a clear call for trade unions to be fully involved in shaping how AI is deployed and regulated...
ituc-csi.org
October 18, 2025 at 12:23 AM
New report from the ITCU ituc-csi.org/Artificial-I... on why workers' unions must shape the deployment and regulation of artificial intelligence.
The Austrian Data Protection Authority ("DSB") issued a decision finding that Microsoft 365 Education illegally tracks school children and uses student data for Microsoft's own purposes. noyb.eu/en/noyb-win-...
noyb win: Microsoft 365 Education tracks school children
Favorable decision by the Austrian DSB: Microsoft Education 365 may not track school kids and Microsoft is ordered to provide full access to kids' data.
noyb.eu
October 14, 2025 at 8:39 PM
The Austrian Data Protection Authority ("DSB") issued a decision finding that Microsoft 365 Education illegally tracks school children and uses student data for Microsoft's own purposes. noyb.eu/en/noyb-win-...
Reposted by Amanda Reilly
The advantages of unionization are obvious, so why don’t more workers join unions?
Employer-led union suppression strategies are a key explanatory factor.
theconversation.com/the-advantag...
#canlab
Employer-led union suppression strategies are a key explanatory factor.
theconversation.com/the-advantag...
#canlab
October 5, 2025 at 5:05 PM
The advantages of unionization are obvious, so why don’t more workers join unions?
Employer-led union suppression strategies are a key explanatory factor.
theconversation.com/the-advantag...
#canlab
Employer-led union suppression strategies are a key explanatory factor.
theconversation.com/the-advantag...
#canlab
Dark Patterns, Deceptive Design and the Law. "This is going on my TBR list. "It explains how laws fail to address deceptive design practices and explores the implications for privacy, autonomy and consumer protection in the digital age" www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dark-patt...
Dark Patterns, Deceptive Design, and the Law
This book provides essential insights on dark patterns and AI-powered deceptive design for anyone who wants to understand and challenge the pervasive influence…
www.bloomsbury.com
September 27, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Dark Patterns, Deceptive Design and the Law. "This is going on my TBR list. "It explains how laws fail to address deceptive design practices and explores the implications for privacy, autonomy and consumer protection in the digital age" www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dark-patt...
So it's not just in New Zealand this happens...
No better way to weaken enforcement of protective labour statutes like employment standards, health and safety, and human rights than starving the administrative machinery assigned to enforcing those statutes.
Strategy as old as time.
www.thestar.com/politics/pro...
Strategy as old as time.
www.thestar.com/politics/pro...
Ford government caps new hires for agencies, boards and commissions
After "significant growth" in new employees, the Ontario government has announced a hiring crackdown in its 143 agencies, boards and commissions — arms-length organizations that have a sweeping impact...
www.thestar.com
September 26, 2025 at 10:33 PM
So it's not just in New Zealand this happens...
I'm cautiously optimistic proposed changes to the Holidays Act are sensible.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/24/h...
But in Australia casual employees get 25% casual loading on top of their base rate to compensate for insecurity & absence of paid sick leave & annual leave- so there is room for improvement.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/24/h...
But in Australia casual employees get 25% casual loading on top of their base rate to compensate for insecurity & absence of paid sick leave & annual leave- so there is room for improvement.
How the Holidays Act overhaul will change sick leave rights and how time off is paid
Explainer: The sweeping changes planned for the complex way full and part-time workers get paid for holiday and sick leave, by Alice Peacock.
newsroom.co.nz
September 26, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I'm cautiously optimistic proposed changes to the Holidays Act are sensible.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/24/h...
But in Australia casual employees get 25% casual loading on top of their base rate to compensate for insecurity & absence of paid sick leave & annual leave- so there is room for improvement.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/24/h...
But in Australia casual employees get 25% casual loading on top of their base rate to compensate for insecurity & absence of paid sick leave & annual leave- so there is room for improvement.
Uber drivers are going to strike on 13 September due to unfair pay rates, cleaning fee reimbursements policies excessive working hours and lack of representation and transparency in Uber's policies.
I hope Uber listens.
www.hcamag.com/nz/specialis...
I hope Uber listens.
www.hcamag.com/nz/specialis...
Uber drivers to strike over alleged unfair pay rates
Uber says they are engaging with the drivers to understand their concerns
www.hcamag.com
September 11, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Uber drivers are going to strike on 13 September due to unfair pay rates, cleaning fee reimbursements policies excessive working hours and lack of representation and transparency in Uber's policies.
I hope Uber listens.
www.hcamag.com/nz/specialis...
I hope Uber listens.
www.hcamag.com/nz/specialis...
Reposted by Amanda Reilly
“Over the past quarter century, American tech companies to a large degree designed and built China’s surveillance state, playing a far greater role in enabling human rights abuses than previously known”
apnews.com/article/chin...
apnews.com/article/chin...
US tech companies enabled the surveillance and detention of hundreds of thousands in China
U.S. technology firms such as IBM, Dell and Cisco largely designed and built China’s surveillance state, an AP investigation finds. The tech companies deny wrongdoing.
apnews.com
September 9, 2025 at 8:17 AM
“Over the past quarter century, American tech companies to a large degree designed and built China’s surveillance state, playing a far greater role in enabling human rights abuses than previously known”
apnews.com/article/chin...
apnews.com/article/chin...
Research shows that some of the richest multi-national technology corporations - like Facebook and Amazon - are paying very little tax on the money they are making in New Zealand
www.tjanz.org/big_tech_med...
www.tjanz.org/big_tech_med...
Media Release: Research reveals need to crack down on Tech Giants' tax avoidance
Research commissioned by Tax Justice Aotearoa and the Better Taxes for a Better Future campaign, shows that some of the richest multi-national technology corporations are paying very little tax.
www.tjanz.org
September 4, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Research shows that some of the richest multi-national technology corporations - like Facebook and Amazon - are paying very little tax on the money they are making in New Zealand
www.tjanz.org/big_tech_med...
www.tjanz.org/big_tech_med...
Reposted by Amanda Reilly
My latest newsletter is about how the double standards that allows big tech to commit the most appalling crimes -- and to get away with them.
whatwelost.substack.com/p/big-tech-a...
whatwelost.substack.com/p/big-tech-a...
Big Tech Always Escapes Justice
How Google, OpenAI, and others get away with (literal and figurative) murder
whatwelost.substack.com
September 4, 2025 at 6:39 PM
My latest newsletter is about how the double standards that allows big tech to commit the most appalling crimes -- and to get away with them.
whatwelost.substack.com/p/big-tech-a...
whatwelost.substack.com/p/big-tech-a...
Reposted by Amanda Reilly
For example, making a digital platform increasingly awful for gig workers.
#labor
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#labor
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
September 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM
For example, making a digital platform increasingly awful for gig workers.
#labor
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#labor
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
This seems shortsighted. From a purely pragmatic perspective, while I'm not an expert on this, my understanding is that NZ has obligations under various trade treaties to comply with international labour standards.
Ministry breaks up international labour specialists - https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/03/ministry-breaks-up-international-labour-specialists/ - Details and more news at: https://nzccl.org.nz/news
Ministry breaks up international labour specialists
Mega-ministry says reshuffling of staff will provide greater capacity for the Govt's health and safety reforms, but others fear it will reduce NZ's focus on international labour issues
newsroom.co.nz
September 3, 2025 at 1:35 AM
This seems shortsighted. From a purely pragmatic perspective, while I'm not an expert on this, my understanding is that NZ has obligations under various trade treaties to comply with international labour standards.
Breaking up with big tech: a human rights based argument for tackling big tech's market power. This report by Amnesty International which lists the harms flowing from big tech's market power is spot on. www.amnesty.org/en/wp-conten...
September 2, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Breaking up with big tech: a human rights based argument for tackling big tech's market power. This report by Amnesty International which lists the harms flowing from big tech's market power is spot on. www.amnesty.org/en/wp-conten...
I've lived through all of these changes and it won't be too much longer till I'm ready to walk away.
This week's comic, inspired by a study showing that AI summaries on top of search results are dramatically cutting traffic to websites.
August 30, 2025 at 9:05 PM
I've lived through all of these changes and it won't be too much longer till I'm ready to walk away.