Unpacking data: GDPR requests as a way to increase algorithmic transparency

Abstract

Analysts have declared for a few years that “data is the new oil”. Just as oil fuelled the global economy for previous decades, data powers modern businesses and enables them to: make better decisions, understand and serve their customers better, optimise their operations and resource usage, and develop innovative new products and services. Data can be collected from a wide range of sources, including customer or employee interactions, social media, website traffic, IOT devices. Data is also a key ingredient for providing AI-driven digital service experiences the modern consumer has grown to expect: personalised content across multiple channels, search- and rank algorithms to curate most relevant content, real-time order tracking, anomaly detection to highlight sudden changes in behaviour e.g. due to stolen account, ratings and learning analytics. In the context of algorithmic management, AI-processed data is strongly related to controlling how work tasks (e.g. delivery service) are conducted on digital labour platforms such as Uber, Wolt or Upwork.