“Data is Not Just Numbers—
It’s Your Story!”
Why Data Matters?
Data is central to algorithmic management: it governs how work is assigned, how workers are rated, how they are paid, and whether they stay on the platform. Yet, workers are largely excluded from accessing and interpreting this data—let alone controlling it. This data asymmetry is a key source of power imbalance.
Turn Data Into Action!
1. Decode it. We can help you with that.
2. Fix it by demanding corrections or back-pay for errors.
3. Share it (anonymously) with fellow riders or your union to strengthen campaigns for fair pay and algorithm transparency.
4.Shape the rules – evidence from rider data already pushed courts and lawmakers in Spain, Italy, and Belgium to tighten protections.
What Can You Learn from the Files?
- Money vs. Distance: Compare the exact distance the app logged to what it paid – under-counting pops out instantly.
- Hidden ratings: Some exports reveal internal quality or “fraud” scores that explain sudden drops in order volume.
- Peak-time penalties: Timeline data shows whether refusing one low-pay order really tanks your queue for the next hour.
- Algorithm changes: CSV logs let you see the day a new pay model kicked in and how it altered your earnings pattern.
Why Make a Data Request?
- See what the company sees: A GDPR Subject-Access Request forces the platform to hand over all personal data it stores about you.
- Spot mistakes: Riders have uncovered missing kilometres, mis-tagged delays, or duplicate “late” flags.
- Challenge unfair treatment: Real numbers beat guesswork in court, in the media, or at the bargaining table.
- Build collective power: When dozens of riders share their files, patterns emerge that a single rider would never notice.
How Are Algorithms Using Your Data?
1. Match-making: An algorithm decides who gets the next order by comparing riders’ live locations, ratings, acceptance rates, and hidden “quality scores.”
2. Pricing: Distance, surge, or batch-bonus formulas rely on your GPS trail and time stamps.
3. Surveillance & discipline: Late deliveries, too many refusals, or “long breaks” can trigger lower priority or even deactivation – often with no human review.
4. Experimentation: Platforms A/B-test different pay schemes on different cohorts without telling you; your data is the test result.
How Do Platforms Collect It?
Apps run quietly in the background, harvesting information from:
- Sensors (GPS, accelerometer, battery).
- App events (accept/decline, chat messages, photo uploads).
- Phone settings (device ID, operating-system details).
- Payment channels (tips, bonuses, transaction IDs).
Most of it is pulled automatically the moment you open the app; the rest comes from partners such as map providers or payment processors.
What is Your Data?
Every ping of your GPS, every button you tap, every customer rating, and every second you wait at a restaurant becomes a digital breadcrumb. Together, these breadcrumbs form your data profile – a record of where you ride, how fast you move, how many deliveries you finish, how customers score you, and even how often you say “no” to bad orders. In short, if the app can see it, it’s data.
Bottom line:
Requesting your data is the first step from being managed by the algorithm to negotiating with it. If you can see the data, you can spot errors, prove unfair treatment and bargain collectively.
Legal Rights & Practical Tools:
The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives platform workers a bundle of enforceable rights. Below you’ll find what each right covers, when to use it, and how to push back if a platform drags its feet.
1. Subject-Access Request (SAR) — Article 15
Scope:
Everything the company holds that is “personal data”: GPS traces, ratings, chat logs, internal flags, even supervisor notes.
Format:
They may reply with PDFs, CSVs, JSON or screenshots.
When to choose:
You suspect hidden metrics (quality scores, fraud flags).You need evidence for legal or collective-bargaining action.
Common platform tactics:
“Too broad” objection. GDPR still requires them to describe all categories they process.
Identity check delay. Provide a profile screenshot or rider ID immediately to stop the clock.
Enforcement tip:
After 30 days, send a reminder citing Art 12 (3). Still nothing? File a complaint with your national Data-Protection Authority (DPA); attach your original e-mail and reminder.
2. Data-Portability Request — Article 20
Scope:
Data you supplied or data generated by your activity that is processed on the legal basis of contract or consent(e.g., route logs, order timestamps).
Format:
Must be “structured, commonly used, machine-readable” — usually CSV or JSON.
When to choose:
You want to run metrics (km vs. €) or map routes. You plan to pool data with other riders for a collective analysis.
Watch-out:
Companies sometimes exclude inferred scores, claiming they’re not “provided” by the user. Combine with a SAR to capture those fields.
3. Combined SAR + Portability
Why it’s best:
Forces the platform to hand over all data and supply the key tables in clean CSV. Saves time versus sending separate letters.
4. Extra GDPR Tools You Should Know
Rectification - Article 16:
Correct wrong kilometres, mis-tagged lateness.
Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”) - Article 17:
Remove obsolete penalty flags that still hurt your score.
Restriction of Processing - Article 18:
Pause a disputed deactivation while it’s investigated.
Automated Decision Explanation - Article 22 + 15 (1)(h):
Pause a disputed deactivation while it’s investigated.
5. If the Platform Refuses or Stonewalls
- Formal reminder quoting the missed deadline.
- Seek union/legal support — collective complaints carry more weight and some unions already have test cases on file.
- Escalate to DPA — most have an online form; attach correspondence.
- Public pressure — media or social-media exposure often speeds up compliance.
BOTTOM LINE:
GDPR is not just paperwork; it’s a lever. Use the templates, track deadlines, and don’t hesitate to escalate—every successful request chips away at the algorithm’s black box.
own data request —
10 quick steps
DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE:
1. Download the right template
Get the Combined information and data portability request (SAR+ DPR) from our template above. It already contains the full GDPR wording that you need.
2. Fill out your details
Name: [enter name]
Address: [enter home address]
Phone number: [mobile number you used to register with the platform]
Email address: [email address you used to register with the platform]
Tip: Leave the legal paragraphs unchanged — only enter your personal data in the marked fields.
3. Select company
Select → [work as a rider/worked as a rider at] [Foodora/Lieferando/Wolt], e.g. “work as a rider at Foodora”.
Delete the rest.
4. Find a platform contact
Open in the app Settings → Legal → Privacy or check out our contact list.
Search for the email from Data Protection Officer (DPO) or the online data protection form.
Contact list:
The inquiries to Foodora must datenschutz@foodora.at which are sent to Wolt at privacy@wolt.com.
With Lieferando Must the application be submitted on this website (link — The language can be changed at the top right of the picture). To do this, select the options “Driver/Courier”, “Driver at Just Eat Takeaway.com/just Eat Takeaway.com Courier” and “Data Access.” Then enter your personal data (name, email address) in the fields provided. Finally, copy the request text into the lowest field and click on “Send request”.
5. Send an inquiry
email: Attach a template as a PDF or paste it into the message.
Web form: Copy body text to the “Other” or “Privacy” box.
If necessary, include a screenshot of your rider profile as proof of ID.
6. Secure evidence
Take a screenshot of the email you sent or the “thank you” page. Note down the submission date — from then on, the clock will run.
7. Wait (up to 30 days)
The GDPR gives the platform one month to respond. If it asks for an ID check, send it quickly; the countdown pauses until you respond.
8. Follow up politely
No response after 30 days? Send a brief reminder with reference to the “GDPR deadline Art. 12 (3).” Nothing comes even after another 14 days,...
9. Escalate
... forward everything to your national data protection authority and the legal service of your trade union.
10. Get & save files
You'll receive a link or email with attachments.
Move it to a secure folder on your computer.
Don't share raw files in public chats — they contain identifiers.
Do you need help evaluating your data?:
You've received your file and now you have a lot of CSV tables, JSON files and strange column names in front of you?
Don't worry—you don't have to decipher it alone.
Write to us riderscollective@oegb.at with the subject “DATA HELP — [platform] — [city]”. We'll get back to you within a few days and help you out.
🛠 Do your own work with AI
Load selected CSVs into tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini (Google)
The AI can:
- Create charts quickly
- Explain unclear column names
- Suggest formulas for Excel/Google Sheets
Tip: Remove personal data (name, telephone, exact addresses,...) beforehand!
You must also check whether the AI results are correct!
You can learn a lot from your data.
The charts below are examples and are based on data (have been adapted for demonstration purposes ) from an individual delivery driver. They are for illustrative purposes only and make no claim to completeness or generality. All information is provided without guarantee; your own results may differ significantly — depending on the region, working method and time period. Therefore, regard the evaluations as inspiration and a good example of practice, not as a binding forecast.
