Data Workers’ Inquiry
@dataworkersinquiry.bsky.social
The Data Workers’ Inquiry is a community-based research project in which data workers lead their own inquiry in their respective workplaces.
https://data-workers.org
https://data-workers.org
A lack of security and protection is a major part of data workers’ lives.
Read/watch excerpts from our collaborators — Oskarina, Ranta, and Alexis — on this topic.
Read/watch excerpts from our collaborators — Oskarina, Ranta, and Alexis — on this topic.
October 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
A lack of security and protection is a major part of data workers’ lives.
Read/watch excerpts from our collaborators — Oskarina, Ranta, and Alexis — on this topic.
Read/watch excerpts from our collaborators — Oskarina, Ranta, and Alexis — on this topic.
The DWI team attended this year’s INDL-8 Conference! Laurenz and Camilla shared theoretical and methodological insights on Data Workers’ Inquiry, while our amazing collaborators Kauna and Ephantus led a powerful panel on workers organizing and unionizing. 💪
September 12, 2025 at 1:28 PM
The DWI team attended this year’s INDL-8 Conference! Laurenz and Camilla shared theoretical and methodological insights on Data Workers’ Inquiry, while our amazing collaborators Kauna and Ephantus led a powerful panel on workers organizing and unionizing. 💪
📣 𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘!
We're excited to co-organize a transnational data worker assembly together with @superrrnetwork.bsky.social on September 16-17 in Berlin.
While the first day is closed-door, we’ll host a public event on the 17th.
👉 Program and registration: www.weizenbaum-institut.de/news/detail/...
We're excited to co-organize a transnational data worker assembly together with @superrrnetwork.bsky.social on September 16-17 in Berlin.
While the first day is closed-door, we’ll host a public event on the 17th.
👉 Program and registration: www.weizenbaum-institut.de/news/detail/...
August 27, 2025 at 10:40 AM
📣 𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘!
We're excited to co-organize a transnational data worker assembly together with @superrrnetwork.bsky.social on September 16-17 in Berlin.
While the first day is closed-door, we’ll host a public event on the 17th.
👉 Program and registration: www.weizenbaum-institut.de/news/detail/...
We're excited to co-organize a transnational data worker assembly together with @superrrnetwork.bsky.social on September 16-17 in Berlin.
While the first day is closed-door, we’ll host a public event on the 17th.
👉 Program and registration: www.weizenbaum-institut.de/news/detail/...
Dependency and vulnerability are part of what data workers face every day.
Read quotes from our collaborators — Yasser, Ranta, Wilington, and Alexis — for a glimpse into what life is really like for data workers.
Read quotes from our collaborators — Yasser, Ranta, Wilington, and Alexis — for a glimpse into what life is really like for data workers.
August 27, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Dependency and vulnerability are part of what data workers face every day.
Read quotes from our collaborators — Yasser, Ranta, Wilington, and Alexis — for a glimpse into what life is really like for data workers.
Read quotes from our collaborators — Yasser, Ranta, Wilington, and Alexis — for a glimpse into what life is really like for data workers.
Today at the Point Sud 2025 conference on “Furthering Digital Sovereignty and Rights in Africa,” Dr. Adio-Adet Dinika presented “The Algorithmic Plantation: Digital Colonialism and Kenya’s AI Labor Force” at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), South Africa.
July 10, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Today at the Point Sud 2025 conference on “Furthering Digital Sovereignty and Rights in Africa,” Dr. Adio-Adet Dinika presented “The Algorithmic Plantation: Digital Colonialism and Kenya’s AI Labor Force” at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), South Africa.
The DWI team in particular has provided ongoing support beyond the launch, continuing to assist with coordination, media strategy, and amplifying data workers’ voices in broader AI and tech accountability conversations.
July 1, 2025 at 7:55 PM
The DWI team in particular has provided ongoing support beyond the launch, continuing to assist with coordination, media strategy, and amplifying data workers’ voices in broader AI and tech accountability conversations.
In collaboration with Data Workers’ Inquiry, the DLA officially launched on February 13th, 2025, under the theme: “Empowering the People Powering AI.”
July 1, 2025 at 7:55 PM
In collaboration with Data Workers’ Inquiry, the DLA officially launched on February 13th, 2025, under the theme: “Empowering the People Powering AI.”
Exciting news! We’ve just launched “Organizing Across Borders” by Joan Kinyua - a data labeler, organizer, and president of the Data Labelers Association (DLA). In this inquiry, Joan reflects on the DLA’s formation and the cross-border solidarity that helped make it possible. data-workers.org/DLA/
July 1, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Exciting news! We’ve just launched “Organizing Across Borders” by Joan Kinyua - a data labeler, organizer, and president of the Data Labelers Association (DLA). In this inquiry, Joan reflects on the DLA’s formation and the cross-border solidarity that helped make it possible. data-workers.org/DLA/
@milamiceli.bsky.social and @alexhanna.bsky.social at the Weizenbaum Institute yesterday to discuss Hanna’s and @emilymbender.bsky.social’s new book “The AI Con”.
July 1, 2025 at 2:15 PM
@milamiceli.bsky.social and @alexhanna.bsky.social at the Weizenbaum Institute yesterday to discuss Hanna’s and @emilymbender.bsky.social’s new book “The AI Con”.
@milamiceli.bsky.social holding a keynote today about Data Workers’ Inquiry at the “Countervailing Platform Power: Regulation, Organizing, and Intersectional Solidarities” conference in Florence, Italy.
June 27, 2025 at 3:36 PM
@milamiceli.bsky.social holding a keynote today about Data Workers’ Inquiry at the “Countervailing Platform Power: Regulation, Organizing, and Intersectional Solidarities” conference in Florence, Italy.
@milamiceli.bsky.social joined @baratunde.com on Life with Machines to talk about the Data Workers’ Inquiry, AI impersonation, and more. Check it out on YouTube: youtu.be/4NSWFy11E8Q?...
June 25, 2025 at 4:44 PM
@milamiceli.bsky.social joined @baratunde.com on Life with Machines to talk about the Data Workers’ Inquiry, AI impersonation, and more. Check it out on YouTube: youtu.be/4NSWFy11E8Q?...
Artificial AI is a video by Ruba, based on her personal experience as a data worker. She started during the pandemic, drawn in by the appeal of autonomy. What she found instead was constant pressure, unclear rules, rejected tasks, and no real voice.
June 18, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Artificial AI is a video by Ruba, based on her personal experience as a data worker. She started during the pandemic, drawn in by the appeal of autonomy. What she found instead was constant pressure, unclear rules, rejected tasks, and no real voice.
Today, @milamiceli.bsky.social, @krystalkauffman.bsky.social and @adiod.bsky.social from the DWI team are in Barcelona to meet with some of these data workers.
📍Today at 5 PM. The event is open and anyone can attend!
👉 Learn more here: www.ibei.org/es/mesa-redo...
📍Today at 5 PM. The event is open and anyone can attend!
👉 Learn more here: www.ibei.org/es/mesa-redo...
June 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Today, @milamiceli.bsky.social, @krystalkauffman.bsky.social and @adiod.bsky.social from the DWI team are in Barcelona to meet with some of these data workers.
📍Today at 5 PM. The event is open and anyone can attend!
👉 Learn more here: www.ibei.org/es/mesa-redo...
📍Today at 5 PM. The event is open and anyone can attend!
👉 Learn more here: www.ibei.org/es/mesa-redo...
Did human labor suddenly become redundant?
Did Meta fully automate its content moderation processes?
The answer is no.
Meta simply moved these operations to a cheaper location in Latin America, continuing to rely on human labor, just at a lower cost and with even less visibility.
Did Meta fully automate its content moderation processes?
The answer is no.
Meta simply moved these operations to a cheaper location in Latin America, continuing to rely on human labor, just at a lower cost and with even less visibility.
June 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Did human labor suddenly become redundant?
Did Meta fully automate its content moderation processes?
The answer is no.
Meta simply moved these operations to a cheaper location in Latin America, continuing to rely on human labor, just at a lower cost and with even less visibility.
Did Meta fully automate its content moderation processes?
The answer is no.
Meta simply moved these operations to a cheaper location in Latin America, continuing to rely on human labor, just at a lower cost and with even less visibility.
On April 3 this year, over 2,000 content moderators in Barcelona were suddenly left without jobs. Meta canceled its contract with the outsourcing company Telus, with no prior notice to the 2,059 workers who had spent years filtering harmful and violent content to keep social media “safe.”
June 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM
On April 3 this year, over 2,000 content moderators in Barcelona were suddenly left without jobs. Meta canceled its contract with the outsourcing company Telus, with no prior notice to the 2,059 workers who had spent years filtering harmful and violent content to keep social media “safe.”
Barcelona friends! Join us for “Data Workers: AI from the Ground Up”
🗓️ Wed, June 18 at IBEI (Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals)
Part of the IV Global Digital Justice Conference
🗓️ Wed, June 18 at IBEI (Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals)
Part of the IV Global Digital Justice Conference
June 9, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Barcelona friends! Join us for “Data Workers: AI from the Ground Up”
🗓️ Wed, June 18 at IBEI (Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals)
Part of the IV Global Digital Justice Conference
🗓️ Wed, June 18 at IBEI (Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals)
Part of the IV Global Digital Justice Conference
This is more than a critique, it’s a call to action. Kauna urges tech platforms like Meta to replace performative “resilience” programs with real, trauma-informed care. These workers are critical to the integrity of our digital world; it’s time they were treated as such.
June 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
This is more than a critique, it’s a call to action. Kauna urges tech platforms like Meta to replace performative “resilience” programs with real, trauma-informed care. These workers are critical to the integrity of our digital world; it’s time they were treated as such.
She presents a scalable, evidence-based intervention designed to address the unique mental health challenges these workers face.
June 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
She presents a scalable, evidence-based intervention designed to address the unique mental health challenges these workers face.
In her report “A Mental Health Intervention for Data Workers”, Kauna - former content moderator and now clinical psychologist - offers a solution grounded in both personal experience and professional expertise.
June 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
In her report “A Mental Health Intervention for Data Workers”, Kauna - former content moderator and now clinical psychologist - offers a solution grounded in both personal experience and professional expertise.
Our brand NEW INQUIRY just dropped!
Every day, data workers, content moderators, annotators, and labellers confront some of the internet’s most harmful content to keep digital spaces safe for others.
Every day, data workers, content moderators, annotators, and labellers confront some of the internet’s most harmful content to keep digital spaces safe for others.
June 5, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Our brand NEW INQUIRY just dropped!
Every day, data workers, content moderators, annotators, and labellers confront some of the internet’s most harmful content to keep digital spaces safe for others.
Every day, data workers, content moderators, annotators, and labellers confront some of the internet’s most harmful content to keep digital spaces safe for others.
@adiod.bsky.social presenting at the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Flashpoint Symposium in Bremen.
June 4th, 2025
June 4th, 2025
June 5, 2025 at 7:38 AM
@adiod.bsky.social presenting at the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Flashpoint Symposium in Bremen.
June 4th, 2025
June 4th, 2025
Mind Over Moderation is a podcast by two anonymous content moderators (Doe and Joe) in Germany, exposing the hidden cost of keeping social media “clean.” As migrant workers for an outsourcing firm, they endure low pay, constant surveillance, and disturbing content—without support or security.
May 29, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Mind Over Moderation is a podcast by two anonymous content moderators (Doe and Joe) in Germany, exposing the hidden cost of keeping social media “clean.” As migrant workers for an outsourcing firm, they endure low pay, constant surveillance, and disturbing content—without support or security.