Unveiling: The Invisible Lives of TikTok Data Workers

UTAW partnered with the Data Workers Inquiry to produce a report on the lived experiences of data workers, particularly content moderators and trust and safety workers at TikTok in London. It focuses on how big tech companies treat data workers, documenting the context of exploitation, the systematic outsourcing to business process outsourcing companies (BPOs), the replacement of human labor with inadequate automated systems, and the reduction of workforce numbers without accountability.

It aims to expose the hidden realities of data work. It also highlights the emotional and psychological toll of moderating harmful content. The core message is that while data workers play a crucial role in keeping online platforms safe, they are often exploited, underpaid and left without mental health support. Their labor remains largely invisible, despite its importance.

This issue is important because data workers are responsible for protecting millions of users from harmful online risks including abuse, violence, and suicide-related materials, to mention a few. Despite this, they face significant psychological risks that are often underestimated or ignored.

Read the report: