Data-Driven Collective Rights

Technological asymmetries in data-driven workplaces increasingly shape power dynamics between employers and employees. This article argues that safeguarding workers’ rights requires transforming collective labour rights into collective technological capabilities. Rather than viewing data rights narrowly as privacy issues, it reframes them as central to broader labour protections. As artificial intelligence enhances employers’ ability to monitor and exploit worker data, workers must be equipped with tools to analyse and act on their collective data. Employers now extract significant value from aggregated personal data, positioning workers as unwitting data providers and limiting workers’ agency. While current laws focus on individual data rights, they overlook the structural nature of data asymmetries. This article introduces the concept of “Data-Driven Collective Affordances” — technological mechanisms enabling workers to process and interpret their aggregated data collectively. By embedding these capabilities into legal and institutional frameworks, workers can co-determine data use, challenge exploitative practices, and more effectively exercise their rights. This collective approach leverages existing labour rights to restore balance in increasingly data-centric workplaces.