Platforms of resistance or platforms of control? Data, Power and Networks of Resistance in the Platform Economy.

Uber和亚马逊是靠经济垄断、智能算法和大数据赋能的。集体社会行动的反力量几乎无法与之抗衡，但优步司机和亚马逊订单拣选员之间不断增长的抵制网络--通过社交媒体论坛和工会--是一股值得研究的社会力量。UnitedPrivate Hire Drivers正在通过Facebook动员Uber司机，GMB Union的#wearenotrobots twitter活动正在组织亚马逊员工。虽然平台资本主义“显著”削弱了劳工运动（Srnicek，2017），但Uber最近的估值为720亿美元，尽管它没有实物资产。亚马逊已经达到1万亿美元大关，首席执行官杰夫·贝佐兹是世界上最富有的人，每小时赚800万英镑。我的研究将调查工人如何组织使用数字网络的力量来抵制和挑战这些公司的做法（Castells，2011）。2018年11月23日，在英国的五个亚马逊网站举行了抗议活动。2019年1月15日，我参加了我的第一次Uber抗议活动。它始于伦敦的伦敦交通办公大楼外的汽车喇叭声。活动人士把尽可能多的汽车停在Blackfriars路上，举行“可见的抗议”。“TFL-种族主义者”和“我们要正义”这两首圣歌成为他们集体声音越来越响亮的象征。这些以男性为主的少数民族活动人士描述了一种根深蒂固的不平等、孤立和背叛感。一位活动家描述了他有时工作16个小时来赚取生活工资，另一位则描述了对被“解雇”的恐惧。“随着移动的手机在Facebook直播中捕捉到抗议活动，数字空间和物理空间融合在一起。我的研究将探索平台经济中工人提出的新不满与社交媒体上出现的新形式的组织和动员之间的关系。我将与20-25名优步和亚马逊活动家以及他们对社交媒体网络的使用进行广泛而深入的实证研究。将收集二手资料，以查明政治行动者如何回应主流媒体的这些运动。通过将工人和组织的观点纳入对话，我希望阐明以下问题：核心研究问题：社交媒体和算法管理如何在优步（UPHD）和亚马逊（GMB）工会成员的政治化中发挥作用？子问题：抗议运动参与者表达的主要不满是什么？社交媒体是否创造了一种集体身份或加深了个人主义的表达？社交媒体如何告知自上而下的传统运动和Uber司机和亚马逊订单拣选员之间的基层活动之间的紧张关系？数字化工具在多大程度上增强和/或削弱了在线和离线空间中的员工的能力？

Uber and Amazon are empowered by economic monopoly,intelligent algorithms and big data. The counter-power ofcollective social action can hardly compete, yet the growingnetworks of resistance among Uber drivers and Amazonorder pickers - through social media forums and tradeunions - are a social force worthy of investigation. UnitedPrivate Hire Drivers are mobilising Uber drivers throughFacebook and the GMB Union's #wearenotrobots twittercampaign is organizing Amazon workers. Whilst platformcapitalism 'significantly' weakens the labour movement(Srnicek, 2017), Uber was recently valued at $72bn despiteowning no physical assets. Amazon has hit the $1 trillionmark and the CEO, Jeff Bezoz, is the richest man in the world,earning £8 million an hour. My research will investigate howworkers are organising using, paradoxically, the power ofdigital networks to resist and challenge these companies'practices (Castells, 2011).Protests were staged at five Amazon sites across the UnitedKingdom on November 23, 2018. On January 15th, 2019 Iattended my first Uber protest. It begun with a battle cry ofcar horns outside the Transport for London office building inLondon. Activists parked as many cars as possible onBlackfriars Road to stage a 'visible protest.' Two chants "TFL- RACIST," and "WE WANT JUSTICE," became the increasinglylouder symbol of their collective voice. The predominantlymale, ethnic minority activists described a sense ofentrenched inequality, isolation, betrayal. One activistdescribed how he sometimes works 16 hours to earn a livingwage, another described fears of being "deactivated." Digitaland physical spaces merged as mobile phones captured theprotest in live Facebook streams. My research will explorethe relationship between new grievances raised by workers inthe platform economy and new forms of organization andmobilisation emerging on social media.I will conduct extensive and intensive empirical work with 20-25 Uber and Amazon activists and their use of social medianetworks. Secondary sources will be gathered to ascertainhow political actors respond to these movements in themainstream media. By bringing into dialogue both workersand organisational perspectives I hope to shed light on thefollowing questions:Central research question:How has social media and algorithmic management playeda role in the politicization of Uber (UPHD) and Amazon (GMB)trade union members?Sub-questions: What are the main grievances expressed by protestmovement participants?Does social media create a collective identity or deepenexpressions of individualism?How does social media inform the tensions between topdown traditional movements and grass-roots activismamong Uber drivers and Amazon order pickers?To what extent do digital tools empower and/ordisempower workers, both in the online and offline space?