‘Someone else will do it for less’: Refugees in Kenya are powering tech for dwindling pay

Refugee tech workers in Kenya face falling wages and vanishing microwork tasks as automated systems handle data tasks faster. Platforms increasingly replace guaranteed pay with discretionary rewards, while clients threaten to move jobs elsewhere if workers push for better rates. This shifts how researchers view digital development programs, exposing how automation dismantles precarious livelihoods in aid-dependent settings.

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