A scathing Human Rights Watch report reveals that digital labour platforms are systematically shifting operational risks and costs entirely onto vulnerable workers.
Kenyan gig workers are facing long working hours, declining and unpredictable pay, safety risks and lack of social protection as digital labour platforms expand rapidly without adequate safeguards, a new report by Human Rights Watch has revealed.
The report, titled Algorithms of Exploitation: Rights Abuses in the Gig Economy and the Global Fight for Change, was released ahead of negotiations under the International Labour Organization (ILO) scheduled for June 2026, where governments are expected to negotiate a landmark treaty on platform work.
Human Rights Watch said the proposed convention presents the first major global effort to establish binding international standards to protect millions of workers earning income through digital labour platforms.
The report documents the experiences of platform workers across nine countries, including Kenya, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
Researchers found that workers across all countries studied experience low and unstable earnings, unsafe working conditions, long working hours and little or no support when injured, sick or unable to work.
The organisation said the rapid growth of the platform economy has far outpaced labour protections, exposing workers to exploitation and economic insecurity.
“Platform companies have built a business model that sidesteps labour protections and shifts risks and costs onto the workers,” said Lena Simet, Senior Economic Justice Advisor at Human Rights Watch.
“The ILO negotiations are the first global effort to get governments to course correct and ensure that using this model does not come at the expense of workers’ rights,” she added.
Increasing number of women are joining sectors like the ride-hailing business.
The report highlighted the experience of Nairobi-based driver Agnes Mwongera, who said she was assaulted by a passenger while working for a ride-hailing company but received no meaningful response after reporting the incident.
Her experience mirrors wider concerns raised in the report that many platform workers face violence, road accidents and other occupational hazards without adequate protection or support from the companies they work for.
Human Rights Watch interviewed drivers and delivery workers in Kenya, India, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, as well as migrant returnees from Bangladesh and Nepal who had previously worked for platform companies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE.
The testimonies collected reveal a common pattern of workers bearing the financial risks and operational costs of the business while companies retain significant control through digital systems.
According to the report, one of the main concerns is the classification of platform workers as independent contractors or self-employed persons rather than employees.
Human Rights Watch said this allows companies in many countries to avoid obligations relating to minimum wage protections, occupational safety standards, sick leave, pensions and social security contributions.
At the same time, companies continue exercising extensive control over workers through algorithms that determine pay rates, assign jobs, set performance targets and even suspend or deactivate workers from platforms.
The report said workers often have little understanding of how these systems operate and are frequently unable to challenge automated decisions affecting their livelihoods.
“Workers described long hours, unpredictable and declining pay, and serious safety risks, often without social security or support if an injury or illness left them unable to work,” the report states.
In Lebanon, driver Apraham Orfalian told Human Rights Watch that his earnings had steadily declined since 2015, leaving him unable to cover daily expenses or contribute to social security.
He said he was later robbed violently while working for Uber, losing both his vehicle and mobile phone, but received no assistance from the company despite being left without income.
Intense competition and external factors have continued to put pressure on ride-hailing profitability.
In the United Kingdom, food courier Graeme Franes said he was unable to work for six months after suffering a broken arm during an attack while making deliveries using a bicycle in Scotland.
“I had to rely on friends and family,” he said. “That was a really tough time.”
Human Rights Watch said such experiences demonstrate how platform workers are often left vulnerable when injuries, violence or illness interrupt their ability to work.
The report also notes that despite claims by some companies that platform work offers flexibility and independence, many workers end up working extremely long hours in order to earn enough income after deducting expenses.
These expenses include fuel, vehicle maintenance, internet bundles, mobile phones, insurance and other operating costs that workers shoulder themselves.
Human Rights Watch said previous research in the United States found that after deducting expenses, many platform workers earned well below both living wage levels and statutory minimum wages.
Workers in other countries reported similar experiences, with earnings frequently insufficient to meet basic daily needs.
The organisation said this model enables companies to capture a growing share of revenue while shifting operational costs and risks onto workers.
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