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Description

In December 2020, the Court of Bologna ruled in favour of Deliveroo riders (supported by CGIL), who accused Deliveroo of discrimination through the platform’s algorithm. According to the riders, it ranked them according to their performance and restricted access to working slots because of riders’ absences due to strikes or sickness. As a result, Deliveroo was sentenced to a €50 000 fine.

The reasons brought by the defendant (riders and their representatives) to claim discrimination included:

• The algorithm penalized riders for not attending booked sessions, affecting their ranking

• Rankings were crucial for accessing preferred work slots, impacting work opportunities

• Absences, regardless of reason (e.g., illness, strike), led to reduced rankings and fewer work opportunities

The court ruled against Deliveroo, ordering damages for discriminatory practices. The ruling was at the first instance level.

Motivation for ruling against Deliveroo:

• Algorithmic discrimination in access to work based on ranking
• Penalization of all forms of work abstention
• Negative impact on work opportunities due to reduced rankings
• Discrimination potential despite cessation of the specific algorithm's use

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Additional metadata

Keywords

algorithmic management, discrimination

Actors

Platform, Individual worker, Employee organisation, Court

Sector

Transportation and storage

Platforms

Deliveroo

Sources

• Italy: Deliveroo’s long-used algorithm was discriminatory and hindered the right to strike, rules Bologna tribunal
• Italy: Court rules against Deliveroo's rider algorithm, citing discrimination (5 January 2021)

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