The delivery apps making gig work a ‘digital wild west’

A Glovo delivery rider takes a break in an empty plaza in Paris, France. The apps use various techniques to disrupt the delivery systems put in place by companies like Glovo, and operate without the firms’ consent. — Bloomberg

For about a year during the pandemic, Marco made a living cycling up and down the cobbled streets of Rieti in Italy, delivering meals for Spanish app company Glovo. Then all of a sudden, his orders dried up.

Marco is one of about a dozen Rieti riders who lost their incomes because of third-party apps that subvert the booking systems of delivery platforms like Glovo – letting gig workers pay to book jobs, union leaders said.