(Spanish/Castilian) Fricciones algorítmicas: Cómo los repartidores configuran y subvierten las plataformas de entrega a domicilio en Lisboa

(French) Frictions algorithmiques: Comment les coursiers façonnent et subvertissent les plateformes de livraison à la demande à Lisbonne

This article advances the conceptualization of algorithmic frictions by examining how couriers navigate the intersection of algorithmic systems and urban spaces on on-demand delivery platforms. Drawing on an autoethnographic account of courier work in Lisbon in 2019 that was subsequently interpreted collaboratively and triangulated with other methods, the study illustrates how frictions arise from the interactions between platforms, local urban contexts, and the embodied practices of workers. Building on Tsing’s notion of friction, the article argues that these frictions are constitutive and disruptive. While couriers’ local knowledge and improvisation are vital for the platform’s functionality, the same frictions also present opportunities for contestation, resistance, and algorithmic manipulation. The analysis reveals how couriers use tactics such as fake GPS or exploiting vulnerabilities in the support chat to deal with system failures and devise socio-spatial strategies. These practices reveal the limits of algorithmic abstraction and demonstrate how agency can persist within asymmetrical power relations. Methodologically, the paper contributes to debates on autoethnography by showing that unintentional and personal data can provide valuable insights into opaque algorithmic systems. The study provides a deeper understanding of how global platform logics are shaped, negotiated and sometimes subverted through everyday and contextual frictions.

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Algorithmic frictions,Digital mediation,On-demand delivery platforms,Courier agency,Autoethnography

• Sociology - Social Sciences
• Social and Economic Geography - Social Sciences