Digital platforms can algorithmically change rules, prices, and recommendations on a per-user, per-session basis, a practice called "twiddling." This leverages surveillance data to maximize extraction, such as raising prices on payday or offering lower wages to workers with high credit card debt, which was previously too labor-intensive for businesses to implement.

A "Priority Delivery" fee may not actually speed up premium orders. Instead, the system can generate millions in pure profit by purposefully delaying non-priority orders by 5-10 minutes. This creates the illusion of a better service by making the standard experience worse by comparison, a powerful dark pattern.

Laid-off workers are increasingly turning to gig platforms like Uber instead of filing for unemployment. This trend artificially suppresses unemployment insurance (UI) claims, making this historically reliable indicator less effective at signaling rising joblessness and the true state of the labor market.

Lyft maintains a 29-point advantage over competitors in driver preference. A key factor is their guarantee that drivers will never make less than 70% of what riders pay weekly, after insurance. This fosters loyalty and pride, acting as a competitive moat in the gig economy.

Early-career knowledge work (e.g., in law and programming) is being automated by AI while the gig economy, a traditional safety net, is shrinking. This combination severely limits opportunities for young people entering the workforce, creating a significant societal and economic challenge.

A viral Reddit post alleged a major food delivery app created the illusion of a premium 'priority' feature not by speeding up those orders, but by intentionally delaying non-priority ones. This dark pattern generates profit by worsening the standard service rather than improving the premium one.

Companies intentionally create friction ("sludge")—like long waits and complex processes—not from incompetence, but to discourage customers from pursuing claims or services they are entitled to. This is the insidious counterpart to behavioral "nudge" theory.

Contrary to the image of a stable labor force, up to 80% of workers in China's largest factories during peak seasons are short-term gig workers. This systemic reliance on a transient workforce marks a significant and risky departure from the previous generation of stable migrant labor.

Travis Kalanick claims delivery app tipping isn't about service feedback but is a tool to maximize consumer price. He posits that consumers are economically irrational, perceiving a $1 tip as costing only 80 cents, while couriers perceive it as being worth $1.20. This psychological gap creates an economic surplus that competitors can exploit to gain market share.