Dual Roles in the Data Workers’ Inquiry Project: a Learning Experience

5 min read

*Trigger warning: mention of sexual assault*

I joined the Data Workers’ Inquiry (DWI) project in 2024 as a researcher with the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR). I am also one of the data workers behind Turkopticon, a worker-run, worker-led advocacy organisation that seeks to advance the rights of data workers worldwide. This project has brought these roles together, and the experience has been invaluable.

I am based in the United States, and I know that being a data worker here is very different to being in one of the global majority countries, especially in Africa or Latin America. I have more work and it pays better than much of the work in other parts of the world. My colleagues and I speak out about these issues, educating those requesting work and pressuring the worst offenders to change their behaviour. 

Some of the tasks I have worked on as a data worker include labelling hate speech, which means reading racist and homophobic content all day long. The researcher requesting this work checked in with me often, reminding me to take breaks. They sent videos of cute animals and encouraged their workers to watch them. On rare occasions, I was exposed to graphic imagery. In my case, the images that stick with me even today are very realistic depictions of suicide. These images were displayed without warning. When I sent a message to the requester about placing a warning on their task, they responded with a brief apology. Still, I know that I have a tremendous amount of privilege. As a researcher, I quickly learned that while I encountered things that were not okay, data workers in other countries experienced far worse. 

Before joining the DWI project, I had heard of cases involving Kenyan content moderators exposed to poor working conditions and very distressing imagery. I knew they had no say in the content they moderated, but I did not know all the specifics. I knew no one was encouraging them to take breaks, but I did not realise that most people have to fight for breaks, even for just a few minutes. I had not heard much about the data workers’ unionising efforts being met with retaliation in Germany, for example, or female data workers being sexually assaulted and raped in Nairobi. My role as a researcher with the Data Workers’ Inquiry further opened my eyes and made me re-examine my privilege almost daily. 

As a data worker, I instantly connected to the community researchers I worked with, and learning what these incredible people endured was heartbreaking. There were times I cried, and times I was angry. It never got easier. No matter how often I have heard or read the firsthand accounts, they hurt as much as the first time. 

As a researcher, I began working with community researchers to find their voice, audience, research methods and output form. There are no words for the bravery and determination I witnessed. Some of the workers risked their jobs or lawsuits by violating NDAs so that they could tell their stories, while others risked other forms of retaliation. As a researcher, I help guide the community researchers through the project processes and, in some cases, speaking engagements.

The community researchers’ outputs are fantastic. They communicate these experiences through essays, documentaries, short films, zines, comic books, reports and more. The project’s creation phase was difficult for both the community researchers and the core researchers. For some, reliving the experiences was tough. Conversely, consuming the content during proofreading and editing was emotionally challenging for some of the core research team, like me. 

One evening, I read through and proofread two reports back to back. In my mind, I was being efficient. In the future, I now know to watch how much content I consume in a day. The content was very emotionally challenging for me to get through. It highlighted the prominent issue of women and sexual assault in Kenyan BPO offices and communities. Both reports mention women being assaulted and subsequently told to keep quiet about it, and that the companies would handle the matter internally. In one case, a woman went to work each day with her rapist. The reports delved into mental health struggles and, in some cases, the substance abuse problems that arose from terrible working conditions. There is content that details how workers were forced to put in more hours than they were paid for, or risk being fired. 

As a human, I want to help. I feel an overwhelming urge to do whatever I can to lessen the harm, the hurt and the resulting trauma. While some researchers turn that human component off, it is what has made me a better researcher, data worker and person. 

We will soon be moving into the next phase of the Data Workers’ Inquiry and focusing on solutions to the issues raised during the first phase. Addressing the problems in data work and devising ways to combat these pervasive issues is paramount. I intend to use my privilege and my roles as a data worker, organiser and researcher to do just that.