Children in Brazil found working for food delivery apps

An illustration depicting life for underage food delivery app workers in Rio de Janeiro. — Thomson Reuters Foundation

RIO DE JANEIRO: Cases of children working for major food delivery apps in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic have been uncovered by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, with prosecutors vowing to investigate amid growing scrutiny of employment practices in the gig economy.

Videos and posts on YouTube and Facebook and interviews with underage workers and researchers showed how Rappi, iFood, 99Food and Uber Eats had failed to stop child labour, with under-18s using older relatives’ accounts or signing up under their names.