The platform economy is an ecosystem of algorithmically-organised social–technical
relationships. In the specific area of home food delivery via digital platforms,
algorithmic mediation motivates agents to act in specific ways based on algorithmic
logic, creating a distinct form of subjectivity. Based on an ethnography carried out
with delivery riders in the City of Madrid (Spain) between 2021 and 2023, in this
paper we explore the concept of participatory subjectivity, proposing a distinction
between three categories: (a) systems in which the delivery worker seeks algorithmic
recognition, (b) systems in which users act in such a way as to be ignored by the
algorithm and (c) systems in which it is the design of the algorithms themselves that
fosters participation by users. We believe that the concept of participatory subjectivity
contributes to the debate on algorithmic mediation in the platform economy,
while also affording new perspectives on its effects on workers.
