Silenced by design: The collapse of gig worker voice under algorithmic control in an authoritarian labour market

Abstract

Digitalisation is reshaping the organisation of labour through algorithmic systems that govern work with minimal human involvement. While a growing literature examines these systems in Global North contexts, their operation within politically centralised and institutionally fragile environments remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates how algorithmic management intersects with authoritarian labour regimes to restructure worker voice. Drawing on a critical thematic analysis with 41 gig workers in Turkey, the analysis identifies a layered process in which voice is structurally foreclosed, psychologically internalised, and informally reassembled under constraint, extending theory on algorithmic governance and worker agency in authoritarian settings. The findings highlight the risks that opaque digital management systems pose for dignity, accountability and democratic oversight in contemporary HRM and labour policy.