#algorithms exposed

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Reverse engineers bust sleazy gig work platform

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/23/hack-the-class-war/#robo-boss

A COMPUTER CAN NEVER BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

THEREFORE A COMPUTER MUST NEVER MAKE A MANAGEMENT DECISION

Supposedly, these lines were included in a 1979 internal presentation at IBM; screenshots of them routinely go viral:

https://twitter.com/SwiftOnSecurity/status/1385565737167724545?lang=en

The reason for their newfound popularity is obvious: the rise and rise of algorithmic management tools, in which your boss is an app. That IBM slide is right: turning an app into your boss allows your actual boss to create an "accountability sink" in which there is no obvious way to blame a human or even a company for your maltreatment:

https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

App-based management-by-bossware treats the bug identified by the unknown author of that IBM slide into a feature. When an app is your boss, it can force you to scab:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/30/computer-says-scab/#instawork

Or it can steal your wages:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

But tech giveth and tech taketh away. Digital technology is infinitely flexible: the program that spies on you can be defeated by another program that defeats spying. Every time your algorithmic boss hacks you, you can hack your boss back:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/02/not-what-it-does/#who-it-does-it-to

Technologists and labor organizers need one another. Even the most precarious and abused workers can team up with hackers to disenshittify their robo-bosses:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#gojek

For every abuse technology brings to the workplace, there is a liberating use of technology that workers unleash by seizing the means of computation:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/13/solidarity-forever/#tech-unions

One tech-savvy group on the cutting edge of dismantling the Torment Nexus is Algorithms Exposed, a tiny, scrappy group of EU hacker/academics who recruit volunteers to reverse engineer and modify the algorithms that rule our lives as workers and as customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/10/e2e/#the-censors-pen

Algorithms Exposed have an admirable supply of seemingly boundless energy. Every time I check in with them, I learn that they've spun out yet another special-purpose subgroup. Today, I learned about Reversing Works, a hacking team that reverse engineers gig work apps, revealing corporate wrongdoing that leads to multimillion euro fines for especially sleazy companies.

One such company is Foodinho, an Italian subsidiary of the Spanish food delivery company Glovo. Foodinho/Glovo has been in the crosshairs of Italian labor enforcers since before the pandemic, racking up millions in fines – first for failing to file the proper privacy paperwork disclosing the nature of the data processing in the app that Foodinho riders use to book jobs. Then, after the Italian data commission investigated Foodinho, the company attracted new, much larger fines for its out-of-control surveillance conduct.

As all of this was underway, Reversing Works was conducting its own research into Glovo/Foodinho's app, running it on a simulated Android handset inside a PC so they could peer into app's data collection and processing. They discovered a nightmarish world of pervasive, illegal worker surveillance, and published their findings a year ago in November, 2023:

https://www.etui.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/Exercising%20workers%20rights%20in%20algorithmic%20management%20systems_Lessons%20learned%20from%20the%20Glovo-Foodinho%20digital%20labour%20platform%20case_2023.pdf

That report reveals all kinds of extremely illegal behavior. Glovo/Foodinho makes its riders' data accessible across national borders, so Glovo managers outside of Italy can access fine-grained surveillance information and sensitive personal information – a major data protection no-no.

Worse, Glovo's app embeds trackers from a huge number of other tech platforms (for chat, analytics, and more), making it impossible for the company to account for all the ways that its riders' data is collected – again, a requirement under Italian and EU data protection law.

All this data collection continues even when riders have clocked out for the day – its as though your boss followed you home after quitting time and spied on you.

The research also revealed evidence of a secretive worker scoring system that ranked workers based on undisclosed criteria and reserved the best jobs for workers with high scores. This kind of thing is pervasive in algorithmic management, from gig work to Youtube and Tiktok, where performers' videos are routinely suppressed because they crossed some undisclosed line. When an app is your boss, your every paycheck is docked because you violated a policy you're not allowed to know about, because if you knew why your boss was giving you shitty jobs, or refusing to show the video you spent thousands of dollars making to the subscribers who asked to see it, then maybe you could figure out how to keep your boss from detecting your rulebreaking next time.

All this data-collection and processing is bad enough, but what makes it all a thousand times worse is Glovo's data retention policy – they're storing this data on their workers for four years after the worker leaves their employ. That means that mountains of sensitive, potentially ruinous data on gig workers is just lying around, waiting to be stolen by the next hacker that breaks into the company's servers.

Reversing Works's report made quite a splash. A year after its publication, the Italian data protection agency fined Glovo another 5 million euros and ordered them to cut this shit out:

https://reversing.works/posts/2024/11/press-release-reversing.works-investigation-exposes-glovos-data-privacy-violations-marking-a-milestone-for-worker-rights-and-technology-accountability/

As the report points out, Italy is extremely well set up to defend workers' rights from this kind of bossware abuse. Not only do Italian enforcers have all the privacy tools created by the GDPR, the EU's flagship privacy regulation – they also have the benefit of Italy's 1970 Workers' Statute. The Workers Statute is a visionary piece of legislation that protects workers from automated management practices. Combined with later privacy regulation, it gave Italy's data regulators sweeping powers to defend Italian workers, like Glovo's riders.

Italy is also a leader in recognizing gig workers as de facto employees, despite the tissue-thin pretense that adding an app to your employment means that you aren't entitled to any labor protections. In the case of Glovo, the fine-grained surveillance and reputation scoring were deemed proof that Glovo was employer to its riders.

Reversing Works' report is a fascinating read, especially the sections detailing how the researchers recruited a Glovo rider who allowed them to log in to Glovo's platform on their account.

As Reversing Works points out, this bottom-up approach – where apps are subjected to technical analysis – has real potential for labor organizations seeking to protect workers. Their report established multiple grounds on which a union could seek to hold an abusive employer to account.

But this bottom-up approach also holds out the potential for developing direct-action tools that let workers flex their power, by modifying apps, or coordinating their actions to wring concessions out of their bosses.

After all, the whole reason for the gig economy is to slash wage-bills, by transforming workers into contractors, and by eliminating managers in favor of algorithms. This leaves companies extremely vulnerable, because when workers come together to exercise power, their employer can't rely on middle managers to pressure workers, deal with irate customers, or step in to fill the gap themselves:

https://projects.itforchange.net/state-of-big-tech/changing-dynamics-of-labor-and-capital/

Only by seizing the means of computation, workers and organized labor can turn the tables on bossware – both by directly altering the conditions of their employment, and by producing the evidence and tools that regulators can use to force employers to make those alterations permanent.

Image: EFF (modified) https://www.eff.org/files/issues/eu-flag-11_1.png

CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

[bananonbinary]

its not as flashy as some of the other youtubers who have done this but i'm really enjoying ann reardon joining the "oops my fun and lighthearted youtube channel has become investigative journalism exposing wild shit" club

like i subscribed cause i liked watching u make teeny tiny food but sure, yeah, we can talk about bullshit wellness products that you can buy on amazon that have illegal levels of radiation. please go on.

[the-most-humble-blog]

<div style="white-space:pre-wrap"> <meta patriarchy-defense="non-negotiable"> <script>ARCHIVE_TAG="DOWN_WITH_THE_PATRIARCHY::EAT_SHIT_SANDWICHES_EDITION" EFFECT: gender delusion collapse, biomechanical laughter, unsolicited DM seizure TRIGGER_WARNING="dark comedy, biological facts, gender role slander, satire that hurts" </script>

🧠 BLACKSITE SCROLLTRAP FEATURE* — “DOWN WITH THE PATRIARCHY? COOL. START BY LIFTING A BACKHOE WITH YOUR FEELINGS.” [SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THOSE ABOUT TO STARVE IN A WOKE APOCALYPSE]

Let’s get this out of the way fast:

No, I’m not down with the patriarchy. Because I like electricity. And clean water. And roofs that don’t leak when it rains. And pavement that doesn’t turn to death-sludge when it rains. And food. Specifically not shit sandwiches.

But sure. Let’s tear it all down because Twitter got spicy.

—

You ever notice who screams “down with the patriarchy” the loudest? It’s never the woman with a wrench in her hand. It’s never the woman scaling a transformer at 3AM during an ice storm. It’s never the girl removing a possum from a flooded sewer drain in a Hazmat suit. It’s always some cupcake in a cardigan with a minor in Gender Literacy and an iPhone made by child slaves. Tapping the words "abolish masculinity" on a device that runs on cobalt mined by men.

—

Let me make this clear:

I don’t give a flying wombat what label you throw at me. Misogynist. Toxic. Problematic. Hell, you can call me daddy like half of you do in the DMs after dark. But the one thing you will never call me?

Delusional.

Because delusion is what happens when you think civilization runs on emotion. That bridges are held up by affirmations. That skyscrapers exist because you journaled hard enough.

Sweetheart. This isn’t TikTok. This is physics.

And the patriarchy? That’s not oppression. That’s your Wi-Fi. That’s your plumbing. That’s the brakes on your car.

You don’t smash the patriarchy. You stand on it.

—

Let’s do a quick Reality Check Starter Pack.

📌 You want to abolish men, but who:

Builds your roads?

Installs your HVAC?

Puts up the steel framing in your Whole Foods?

Hauls your trash?

Fixes the sewer backup when you flush a face wipe?

Let me guess. You’ll manifest a clean bathroom with girl math. Or summon a backhoe using oracle moon energy.

No, babe. The dude with neck tattoos and a Gatorade bottle full of dip spit is the only reason your UTI doesn’t turn medieval.

—

And let’s talk about machines.

You ever hear a woman say:

“We don’t need men, we’ll build robots to do the hard stuff.”

Yeah? With what strength? Who’s lifting the titanium? Who’s mining the ore? Who’s welding the frame?

Siri doesn’t work during a power outage.

And your dishwasher doesn’t run on dreams.

It runs on coal. Diesel. Blood. And brute male force.

—

But you’re independent. You don’t need no man. Except when the sink leaks. The AC dies. The check engine light blinks. Or there’s a noise outside at 2:13AM.

Suddenly? Every feminist forgets Krav Maga.

Suddenly? That misogynist neighbor becomes “just so handy.” Suddenly? Your pepper spray isn’t cutting it. And you remember what protection actually looks like.

—

Call me cruel. Call me patriarchal. But don’t call me when the bear breaks through your window because you defunded the man who used to hunt it.

Let’s be real. If men disappeared tomorrow?

Women would be feral within the month. Not because you’re weak. But because civilization doesn’t run on vibes. It runs on sweat. Risk. Sacrifice. And testosterone-induced problem solving.

Let's break it down.

📊 WHO MAINTAINS CIVILIZATION?

🔧 Power grid maintenance: 97% men 🧱 Construction workers: 91% men 🪠 Plumbing and sewage: 96% men ⚓ Fishermen: 99% men 🪵 Lumberjacks: 100% men 🧯 Firefighting: 93% men 🛠️ Road repair crews: 95% men 🚚 Long-haul trucking: 94% men �� Military frontline combat: 99% men 🧼 Men who die so your hot water works: Countless

But sure. Tell me again how “gender is a construct.”

You know what isn’t a construct? Gravity. Back injuries. And sewage pressure blowing out a 40-foot pipe valve.

You want to see gender roles collapse? Turn off the grid for three days.

Suddenly?

“Down with the patriarchy” turns into “Help me, my bathwater’s brown and I think something’s moving in it.”

—

Now to the spicy part.

Let’s talk about power play.

There’s a reason men like me aren’t taken seriously by women who peg their boyfriends.

Because she’s wearing the strap. And he’s wearing the shame.

But me? I don’t bend over. Not for validation. Not for networks. And sure as hell not for you.

That’s why I get called toxic. Misogynist. Outdated.

While you watch my posts in the dark, wet and mad and fingering yourself through the hypocrisy.

Yeah. I said it. This is Blacksite Literature™. Not BuzzFeed therapy.

—

Let’s be even realer.

📌 Who sends the hate messages? Who calls me dangerous in public, but follows me from a burner? Who saves every post and quotes me in arguments with men they don’t respect?

You. The same ones crying “patriarchy” from the shelter it built.

—

Let me ask you this:

If every “toxic man” disappeared tomorrow, who do you think would protect you from the rest?

From the ones who don’t care about your pronouns? The ones who don’t negotiate over consent? The ones who see weakness, not value?

Do you think they’ll listen when you quote feminist theory? Do you think the evolved bear that’s learned how to unzip tents will stop because you explained the wage gap?

Nah.

You’ll wish someone like me was still standing. Still armed. Still “toxic.” Still dangerous to everything that wants to reduce you to meat.

—

So no. I’m not down with the patriarchy.

Because I’m not down with starvation. I’m not down with mud huts and period huts and ritual stonings from the Taliban 2.0 with better Wi-Fi.

I’m not down with pretending that 500,000 years of physical infrastructure was a gendered conspiracy.

It was sacrifice. It was risk. It was dying younger, working harder, being disposable, so you could live longer, safer, and freer.

And now you throw rocks at the house that keeps you out of the cave.

—

So call me whatever you need to sleep at night.

But understand this:

The patriarchy isn’t oppressing you. It’s keeping you alive.

And if you ever get what you claim to want?

You'll die under your own empowerment. Starving. Freezing. Bleeding. Unshaved. Unarmed. Unloved.

While some rewilded bear figures out how to undo a sports bra.

🧠 Read more scrolltrap reality and biological warfare satire at: 👉 My Linktree 🛡️ Masculine polarity. Dirty truth. Fuck your feelings. 🚪 Warning: This post may cause involuntary cervical twitches, existential dread, and an urge to admit he was right.

📊 FINAL REALITY CHECK STATS 📊

94% of workplace deaths: men

99% of infrastructure roles: men

90% of violent criminals stopped by: men

Feminist utopias built without men: 0

Women DMing this post's author while denying it: 3 confirmed since this draft started

</div> <!-- END TRANSMISSION [WHEN THE GRID GOES DOWN, YOU’LL WISH YOU HAD A MISOGYNIST WITH A TOOLBELT.] -->

[gil-estel]

wow I wonder what could have happened around 2013 to cause this

[adaines-furious-feast]

I googled Mary Magdalene to make sure I spelled the name correctly and now I'm getting Temu ads for Mary Magdalene. Can't imagine how much this would piss Martin Luther off.

[ebenelephant]

reblogged one single post about lily evans and now i'm being shown wolfstar I hate it here

[correctopinionhaver]

[xieyaohuan]

I reblogged maybe two posts that contained Soldier Boy (I guess we had a bit of a HL happy family day theme?), and all of a sudden, the "Your tags" tab is showing me all this Soldier Boy stuff

[pinyatapix]

every time i see the TikTok Forehead Eyes Kid in the thumbnail of a youtube art commentary video i want to tear my hair out and choke people with it

stop it stop it stop it STOP showing my the Forehead Eyes Boy im fucking TIRED of people talking about it after like over an entire YEAR since the fucking drama over it happened on tiktok and i saw yet ANOTHER VIDEO with that boy in the thumbnail TODAY FROM A WEEK AGO AAUGRUHJ for fuck's sake stop talking about the person who drew Forehead Eyes Kid just leave em alone stop ragging on them or over-praising their "unique artstyle" over a fucking typical ass beginner artist's anatomical mistake that'll iron itself out with a tiny bit more practice done outside the toxicity of tiktok or social media in general just UUURUHYEJEGVFUUTYHDIBJVGUSYHBJD VGUHIOJDNLKBHIUSJOKMLNDBHKIGUJDNKBVGUHIBJVGH if my rise to internet fame was a very obvious anatomical mistake in my art that people kept insulting me over and defending it as "it's just their art style!!!" i'd just fuckin lose it. man

[skelevision]

what i like abt the "do you like this vocaloid song" poll blog is that its clear a lot of the followers r young and/or new to vocaloid so u get to see ppl finding songs they like in real time

[rrogueamendiares]

Haunted again by my instagram presence

[leonardo-brainrot]

Guys why is everything on here cursed- I don't understand how some of ya'll are just completely immune to your own cringe

[lav-endermoon]

i love you hidden likes and following list i love you tag feature i love you anonymity i love you customizable theme i love waffling into the digital void i love you tumblr

[honeyedlashton]

Rules: post your lockscreen, homescreen, the last song you listened to, and your pinterest home page 💜✨🩵

I was tagged by the lovely Aerie (@arishemmo) thank you so muchhh cause yours was so pretty!!!! 🩷🩵🧡

Nothing is organized. Folders are suggestions. Accessibility is a scam. I get what I get from muscle memory alone.

I’m tagging: really anyone who wants to. @louisneckveins @retromalum @wannabemichaelsmaster @sofsversion but literally no pressure 💛🧡🩵

[the-most-humble-blog]

🗣️📢 Please Validate Me: The Gospel of the Gutless Male Feminist:

Also known as: “Beta Males in Empowerment Drag Who Mistake Attention for Activism”

“Male feminists don’t fight for women — they perform for them.”

That’s not a punchline. That’s a clinical diagnosis.

This is a eulogy wrapped in cultural analysis. A roast bathed in citations. A highly manipulative, legally fireproof psychological report on a man who’s not a threat to patriarchy — but to plumbing and protein intake.

🧠 Who Are They?

Male feminists are:

Self-appointed “allies” of women

Who mysteriously never protect them

But always remind you they support them

While secretly hoping to sleep with them

But publicly calling you an “incel” for noticing

Their greatest weapon? Language.

Their greatest weakness? Truth.

They don't stand for equality. They squat for approval.

🎭 Meet the Four Horsemen of Simpocalypse

1. The Podcast Crybully™

"Women deserve to feel safe around men — especially me, I’m crying again.”

He thinks being emotionally available means filming trauma porn in 4K for TikTok.

Weaponizes soft language to avoid confrontation

Weaponizes his own sadness to win trust

Bakes banana bread for trauma girls and posts about it like he stormed Normandy

He doesn't listen to women. He studies them — like prey or content fodder. He doesn't fight abusers. He performs like he's recovering from a breakup he caused — and recorded for engagement.

🔍 Pathology:

Beneath every “crying in the car” selfie is a man who blames his dad for his own inability to make eye contact without apologizing for existing.

2. The Corporate Apologist™

“I’ve taken accountability for what other men have done. Now I work in DEI and collect awards.”

He exists in every HR training video. Looks like a Ken doll who quit CrossFit after a woman called his triceps “triggering.”

Speaks in LinkedIn platitudes and apology emails

Believes being a “safe man” means being an invisible one

Would ban testosterone if he could find a non-offensive way to say it

He will watch a woman get groped at a bar and do nothing… Then repost an “End Toxic Masculinity” infographic the next day with the caption:

“As a cis white male, I choose to listen.”

🔍 Pathology:

This man is not dangerous. He is worse — irrelevant. A disposable mascot for corporate feminism and ideological servitude.

3. The Mirror Selfie Ally™

“Hi bestie 💖 I’m just a guy who loves human rights and aesthetic skincare routines ����💅”

He’s a male feminist, yes — but he markets like a softcore OnlyFans.

Shirtless in front of a pride flag

Feminist quotes copy/pasted from dead theorists

Uses “cishet” unironically

DM’s women “Just here if you ever wanna talk 💞✨” — then asks for nudes after 5 messages

He once posted “Happy International Women’s Day” with a six-pack mirror selfie and a caption about dismantling gender norms.

🔍 Pathology:

Weaponizes aesthetic softness to bypass emotional security walls. Not an ally. Just horny with extra steps.

4. The Coddled Cuck™

“I’m just here to listen and uplift — my opinions don’t matter.”

You're right, Kevin. They don’t.

Believes supporting women means having none of his own boundaries

Feels guilt for speaking

Will allow his girlfriend to go on a “healing girls trip” with 7 exes and a tarot deck

He’s not feminist — he’s just terrified.

Terrified of rejection. Terrified of masculinity. Terrified of being seen as a man with expectations, needs, or (God forbid) standards.

🔍 Pathology:

This man is the human equivalent of a participation trophy that apologizes when it falls off the shelf.

🧬 The Real Disease: Validation Dependency

Male feminists don’t love women. They’re addicted to female approval like it’s a controlled substance.

They are:

Performers

Parasites

Passive observers

Praise-hungry pawns

They quote bell hooks but secretly fantasize about being “chosen” by their “feminist crush” who sees them as a platonic footstool.

They are the emotional sugar-free Kool-Aid of gender politics: No calories. No substance. And it makes your stomach hurt if you swallow too much.

💣 Why They’re Actually Dangerous

Because they give women false hope.

Women think they’ve found a “safe man.” But they’ve actually found a spineless nonentity who:

Won’t protect them

Won’t stand up for them

Won’t challenge them

Won’t hold them accountable

And won’t ever lead them

He’s not safe. He’s useless.

And when the world gets dark, and dangerous, and real?

He won’t fight. He’ll fold. He’ll say, “I don’t want to cause conflict.”

And watch while she suffers — then repost a feminist quote about “emotional labor.”

🧠 Real Psychology: What's Going On in His Brain?

This is performative masculinity dissociation:

Low testosterone + high social anxiety = fake virtue

Delayed ego development due to coddling or fatherlessness

Validation dependency through peer praise, likes, and emotional exposure

Moral projection — he outsources guilt onto other men to dodge introspection

He is not an advocate. He is a consumer of feminist branding.

🔥 What Happens When You Confront One?

You’ll hear phrases like:

“Why are you so angry?”

“Sounds like you have fragile masculinity.”

“You’re the reason women don’t feel safe.”

“I’m just here to support.”

All of these translate to:

“Please don’t call out my cowardice. I’ve built my entire identity on avoiding rejection by calling myself safe.”

🩸 TL;DR:

Male feminists aren’t brave. They’re branded.

They exist to perform, not protect.

They don’t challenge women. They collect praise from them.

They are cowards in cosplay, hoping their virtue shields them from ever having to lead, fight, or take a stand that risks rejection.

If the apocalypse happened tomorrow?

They’d be the first to tweet “All genders deserve empathy” while hiding behind the real men they secretly resent.

💥 CALL TO ACTION:

🔁 Reblog if you’re done mistaking simping for virtue 🧼 Share if you’ve met a “safe man” who ghosted after your trauma wasn’t sexy anymore 👁 Comment if you’ve ever been gaslit by a guy who starts every sentence with “As a male feminist…” 🛡 Repost this before the Podcast Crybully makes another crying TikTok about how “he’s just trying his best.”

⚖️ LEGAL DISCLAIMER:

This blog post is protected under satire, commentary, literary disobedience, and psychological warfare law. All characters depicted are real archetypes with fictional dignity. If you are offended, it means you're performing, not processing. This post is a weapon of mass introspection. Side effects include clarity, anger, betrayal, and recovery. Consult your backbone before replying.

[aspiffygoat]

something i genuinely love about making kink art for people is there's an honesty about them. like someone contacting me to say "can you draw my fursona being pampered and fattened by toriel from undertale" and i say "yeah gimmie like a week to get a wip ready." like its so mundane. but think for a moment that person is confiding with me a deep fantasy they have. something they might not tell a lot of other people about. definitely not family or coworkers or non-furry friends. but they're coming to me, fully exposed. their soul laid bare. naked. about something they feel deep within. and for me it is tuesday. i dunno i feel like i live in a world where a lot of creative works have to focus more and more on keeping up appearances. Marketing themselves, being advertiser friendly, obeying whatever trend or algorithm demands it. A lot of it feels disconnected from people. So having someone come to me personally and request: "draw the avatar of myself being loved exactly the way i want to be loved" or "draw this person who represents my ideal partner" or "draw me loving my body" or hell even "draw me being a nasty bitch" it's honest. it's brave. it's intimate and trusting. i think its beautiful. Hell yeah i'll draw it. Your dream deserves to be given life and i really hope i succeed.