Digital Labor in the Middle East and Africa: Emerging Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Welcome address

12:30 - 13:00 (30min)

Welcome address

Sarrah Kassem, Myriam Raymond, Nagla Rizk, Antonio A. Casilli

The Political Economy of Digital Labor in MEA

13:00 - 14:20 (1h20)

The Political Economy of Digital Labor in MEA

Chair: Søren Bøgh Sørensen, Copenhagen Business School

› On the rising phenomena of Troll Farming: Electronic Committees and the Exploitation of Digital Labor in the Middle East - Myriam RAYMOND, GRANEM, Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Angers, Digital Platform labor 13:00-13:15 (15min)

› The Social Production of Disinformation: Labor, Ideology and Patriotism in Iranian Troll Farms - Marina Ayeb, University of Urbino; Selem Chaouachi, Institute of Press and Information Sciences 13:15-13:30 (15min)

› The Political Economy of Digital Labour in Bangladesh and MEA: Comparative Perspectives on Platform Work and Precarity - Dr. Md. Hasan Ali, Selinus University 13:30-13:45 (15min)

› Algorithmic Management, Data Practices and Worker Precarity on Ride-hailing Platforms in Kenya - GEOFFREY OCHIENG, Independent researcher 13:45-14:00 (15min)

Break

14:20 - 14:30 (10min)

Break

Special Report: Data Work in Egypt

14:30 - 15:00 (30min)

Special Report: Data Work in Egypt

Myriam Raymond, , GRANEM, Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Angers, Digital Platform labor (DiPLab); Lucy Neveux, HEC Paris (Chair: Paola Tubaro, CNRS, DiPLab))

Algorithmic Management and Workers’ Rights

15:00 - 16:20 (1h20)

Algorithmic Management and Workers’ Rights

Chair: Kauna Malgwi, Digital Rights and Mental Health Initiative Africa

› Algorithmic Governance and Regulatory Blind Spots: Insights from Turkey for Platform Labor in the Middle East and Africa - Zeynep Kıyak, Independent Researcher 15:00-15:15 (15min)

› From Plato to Platform: Political Philosophy and Algorithmic Governance of Labor in the Middle East and Africa - Mazhar ELSHORBAGI, Deraya University 15:15-15:30 (15min)

› Who is standing up for the workers - Setting the agenda for AI in the workplace regulation in the GCC - Mohamed Elimam, University of Bath [Bath], Kearney Middle East and Africa 15:30-15:45 (15min)

› Regulating platform work: a contribution to assessing the convergence of public policies in Africa - YOUSSEF BELHAJ, Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences 15:45-16:00 (15min)

Day 1 closing remarks

16:20 - 16:30 (10min)

Day 1 closing remarks

Myriam Raymond, Paola Tubaro

	Tue. 25	Wed. 26
12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00	Welcome address 12:30 - 13:00 (30min) Welcome address Sarrah Kassem, Myriam Raymond, Nagla Rizk, Antonio A. Casilli The Political Economy of Digital Labor in MEA 13:00 - 14:20 (1h20) The Political Economy of Digital Labor in MEA Chair: Søren Bøgh Sørensen, Copenhagen Business School › On the rising phenomena of Troll Farming: Electronic Committees and the Exploitation of Digital Labor in the Middle East - Myriam RAYMOND, GRANEM, Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Angers, Digital Platform labor 13:00-13:15 (15min) › The Social Production of Disinformation: Labor, Ideology and Patriotism in Iranian Troll Farms - Marina Ayeb, University of Urbino; Selem Chaouachi, Institute of Press and Information Sciences 13:15-13:30 (15min) › The Political Economy of Digital Labour in Bangladesh and MEA: Comparative Perspectives on Platform Work and Precarity - Dr. Md. Hasan Ali, Selinus University 13:30-13:45 (15min) › Algorithmic Management, Data Practices and Worker Precarity on Ride-hailing Platforms in Kenya - GEOFFREY OCHIENG, Independent researcher 13:45-14:00 (15min) Break 14:20 - 14:30 (10min) Break Special Report: Data Work in Egypt 14:30 - 15:00 (30min) Special Report: Data Work in Egypt Myriam Raymond, , GRANEM, Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Angers, Digital Platform labor (DiPLab); Lucy Neveux, HEC Paris (Chair: Paola Tubaro, CNRS, DiPLab)) Algorithmic Management and Workers’ Rights 15:00 - 16:20 (1h20) Algorithmic Management and Workers’ Rights Chair: Kauna Malgwi, Digital Rights and Mental Health Initiative Africa › Algorithmic Governance and Regulatory Blind Spots: Insights from Turkey for Platform Labor in the Middle East and Africa - Zeynep Kıyak, Independent Researcher 15:00-15:15 (15min) › From Plato to Platform: Political Philosophy and Algorithmic Governance of Labor in the Middle East and Africa - Mazhar ELSHORBAGI, Deraya University 15:15-15:30 (15min) › Who is standing up for the workers - Setting the agenda for AI in the workplace regulation in the GCC - Mohamed Elimam, University of Bath [Bath], Kearney Middle East and Africa 15:30-15:45 (15min) › Regulating platform work: a contribution to assessing the convergence of public policies in Africa - YOUSSEF BELHAJ, Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences 15:45-16:00 (15min) Day 1 closing remarks 16:20 - 16:30 (10min) Day 1 closing remarks Myriam Raymond, Paola Tubaro	Building Ethical AI from the Ground Up: Voices from Kenya’s Data Workforce 14:00 - 14:40 (40min) Building Ethical AI from the Ground Up: Voices from Kenya’s Data Workforce Ephantus Kanyugi, Data Labelers Association of Kenya (DLA) (Chair: Adio-Adet Dinika, Distributed AI Research Institute) AI, Automation, and Labor Transformations 14:40 - 16:00 (1h20) AI, Automation, and Labor Transformations Chair: Manovosoa Rakotovao, ISCAM Business School › Technologies avancées dans le marché du travail en Égypte et en Arabie Saoudite : dynamiques et défis. - Kawtar Tsouli, sciences économiques 14:40-14:55 (15min) › The impact of using ChatGPT on internal audit quality: a case study of a subsidiary of an oil group in Morocco - Abdelmounim Bouziane, Université Chouaib Doukkali 14:55-15:10 (15min) › Feminist Futures of Digital Labor and Democracy in Africa - Judith Gbagidi, ActionAid Nigeria 15:10-15:25 (15min) › Flexibility or Precarity? A Sociological Inquiry into Platform Drivers in Morocco - Saadeddine Igamane, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Laboratory of Cultural and Social Research and Studies (LaRECS) 15:25-15:40 (15min) Break 16:00 - 16:10 (10min) Break Women, AI and Work in the ME & Africa: Feminist Perspectives from the MENA Observatory 16:10 - 16:50 (40min) Women, AI and Work in the ME & Africa: Feminist Perspectives from the MENA Observatory Nagla Rizk, American University of Cairo (Chair: Paola Tubaro, CNRS, DiPLab) Challenging the 'thingness’ of AI from Eastern Africa 16:50 - 17:30 (40min) Challenging the 'thingness’ of AI from Eastern Africa Sharath Srinivasan, University of Cambridge (Chair: Antonio A. Casilli, IP Paris) Closing remarks 17:30 - 17:45 (15min) Closing remarks Myriam Raymond, Nagla Rizk