Working for an Algorithm
Shadow Bans, Dopamine Hits, and Viral Videos, All in the Life of TikTok Creators
A secretive algorithm that’s constantly being tweaked can turn influencers’ accounts, and their prospects, upside down
Dara Kerr
Reporter
Dara Kerr is an enterprise reporter based in Oakland with a focus on labor. She covers Silicon Valley employees, gig and warehouse workers, and the ways labor is changing. She’s interested in how companies are redefining work and what that means for society.
Before joining The Markup, she was a senior reporter for CNET, writing about the gig economy. Her reporting looked at the epidemic of sexual assault in ride-hailing, gig companies’ battles with government regulators, and the lack of protections for workers in that industry.
Ask The Markup
The Tech Industry Is Abuzz About the PRO Act. What Is It?
The federal bill seeks to make it easier for gig workers to join unions. Tech companies are not on board
Citizen Browser
Official Information About COVID-19 Is Reaching Fewer Black People on Facebook
According to data from The Markup’s Citizen Browser project, there are major disparities in who is shown public health information about the pandemic
Working for an Algorithm
Postmates Workers Scammed out of Their Earnings Are Reimbursed Following The Markup’s Report
The phishing scam targets gig workers, accessing their login credentials and stealing their pay
Working for an Algorithm
Postmates Drivers Have Become Easy Prey for Scammers. And Drivers Say the Company’s Not Helping
Gig workers, who report to a phone app instead of a human, are unusually vulnerable to phishing scams that drain entirepaychecks