DATA4MODS : Content Moderators' Collective Power through Data

Data4Mods is an innovative initiative that studied and mapped the content moderation and data tagging sector in Kenya and Nigeria. Moderators were able to exercise their data rights and analyze their personal data. The aim is to create a collective power to help them prove and improve their working conditions.

Data4Mods is led by PersonalData.IO and the African Content Moderators Union (ACMU) to help content moderators and data taggers in Kenya and Nigeria exercise their personal data rights.

The main aim: to regain control over their data, build collective power, and gather evidence on their often opaque and precarious working conditions.

✅ Thanks to this project, workers were able to:

– Send requests for access to their personal data (SAR) to their employers, such as Sama or Teleperformance;
– Better understand their access rights;
– Organize community events to strengthen their capacity for action.

🎯 What we’ve achieved:

– Mapping 17 international companies that outsource content moderation in Africa, with a visualization of data flows between Europe, Africa, the Emirates and company headquarters ;
– Creation of a database on working conditions, fed by data obtained via legal requests;
– Publication of a report of policy recommendations, based on legal analyses, for data protection authorities and governments ;
– Tutorials and practical guides to help other workers exercise their rights;
– Survey of 81 workers in Africa on working conditions in this sector (results to come).

🔍 What we found:

Despite their legal obligations, companies often ignored, delayed or truncated their responses to data requests. These documented obstacles reveal systemic violations of data access rights, particularly in globalized outsourcing chains dominated by large platforms.

🤔 Where do we go from here?

ACMU can prepare legal complaints to data protection authorities. The data collected can also be used to document working conditions in the digital sector, and to demand fairer rights.

This project shows that data isn’t just for platforms – it can also strengthen workers.

the map

The article including the map is currently only available to journalists, but will soon be available to the general public!

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to sum up

objectives
Data4modes seeks to transform the content moderation and data labelling industry by:
 
  • Supporting content moderators in exercising their data rights
  • Building collective power through data collection and analysis
  • Creating transparency in the AI industry
  • Developing evidence-based policy recommendations

This initiative is a collaboration between Personaldata.IO and the African Content Moderators’ Union (ACMU): The first union of its kind worldwide, representing content moderators and data labellers across Africa, advocating for improved working conditions and mental health support.

  • A map of content moderation and data labelling companies unveiling the first personal data flows between EU and African companies
  • Data access requests made to major European companies
  • 81 workers surveyed about their working conditions

Data-based policy report

September 2024 – March 2025

This project is supported by the Data Empowerment Fund and contributes to building a more equitable and transparent tech industry where labor and data rights are respected and upheld for all workers.

get involved

If you are interested in contributing, you can get involved:

For content
moderators

Are you a content moderator and/or data labeller? Learn more about your rights and join our community.
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For Researchers, policymakers
and journalists

Are you invested in our findings? Please reach out to get more informations about the project.
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