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Stories of resistance: The role of online forums in response to Uber’s algorithmic management

Author

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  • McDaid, Emma
  • Free, Clinton

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamics of worker resistance within the gig economy. Drawing on a combination of 36 qualitative interviews with Uber drivers and a netnographic analysis of the forum Uberpeople.net, we investigate how drivers use digital communities to challenge precarity. Despite Uber’s efforts to individualize and control their labour, we reveal that resisting drivers use online forums to share experiences, develop resistance strategies, and foster collective identity. Specifically, we identify three primary mechanisms through which online forums facilitate resistance: (1) fostering in-group solidarity through shared grievances and collective identity formation; (2) enabling information exchange that empowers drivers to navigate and challenge platform constraints; and (3) providing discursive justifications for non-compliance with platform rules. This study contributes to research on labour resistance and algorithmic management by demonstrating how gig workers leverage digital spaces to contest control, highlighting the central role of storytelling and online communities in shaping contemporary labour struggles within the gig economy.

Suggested Citation

  • McDaid, Emma & Free, Clinton, 2025. "Stories of resistance: The role of online forums in response to Uber’s algorithmic management," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:crpeac:v:101:y:2025:i:c:s1045235425000036
    DOI: 10.1016/j.cpa.2025.102790
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