Dataharvest 2026 - the European Investigative Journalism Conference

According to the OECD, 79% of companies use algorithmic management tools to automate recruitment, manage human resources and, above all, monitor and control workers. Subjected to constant algorithmic surveillance, salespeople in all sectors are always aware that their every move is being scrutinized. In digital professions, particularly video game
design, this digital activity tracking fuels burnout and workplace suffering. Delivery workers, especially those on bicycles, face even more serious consequences: the accelerated pace of their work leads to serious workplace accidents and even death. In France, the press has documented more than twenty fatal accidents since the arrival of Uber 
Eats and Deliveroo to the market in 2015.

How are these technologies deployed? How can we bypass corporate communications to document their real impact? How can we identify the hundreds of small businesses worldwide that market these devices? In this session, Clément Pouré, who has published around fifty investigations on workplace surveillance in the Age of AI, and a book on the same topic, will shed light on the surveillance practices of numerous multinationals such as McDonald's and TP (a world leader in call centers), but also on the more insidious practices of smaller companies across all sectors.

In this session, we'll briefly look into the history of workplace surveillance and its impact on employees, and chart an overview of the current technologies and the risks they represent. We will review the methods and sources that can be used to investigate the subject. The session is suitable for beginners, and no prior experience in algorithmic investigations is required to attend.