EXCLUSIVE: Children in Brazil found working for food delivery apps

[Judi Lynn]

by Fabio Teixeira | @ffctt | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Thursday, 3 December 2020 10:01 GMT

Prosecutors vow child labor probe into gig economy companies such as Uber Eats after investigation by the Thomson Reuters Foundation


By Fabio Teixeira

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 3 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Cases of children working for food delivery apps in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic have been uncovered by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, with prosecutors vowing to investigate amid growing scrutiny of employment practices in the gig economy.

Videos and posts on YouTube and Facebook and interviews with underage workers and researchers showed how Rappi, iFood, 99Food and Uber Eats had failed to stop child labor, with under-18s using older relatives' accounts or signing up under their names.

School closures and job losses caused by the pandemic have driven more children to work in the informal economy, according to activists. A United Nations survey in Sao Paulo of about 52,745 families found child labor rose by 26% from May to July.

A bicycle and a smartphone are all that are needed for children to tap into the growing demand for food deliveries, while social media sites are awash with advice on how to sign up and work while circumventing the delivery apps' identity checks.

More:
https://news.trust.org/item/20201203090436-evjw0/?utm_campaign=trending&utm_medium=trendingWebWidget&utm_source=detailPage&utm_content=link3

[jimfields33]

1. Under 18?

Yieks. We are in the same boat then.