“The harder I work, the luckier I get”: how rural streamers perceive and cope with the algorithmic gaze on Taobao Live

Abstract

This study examines rural live streamers’ perceptions and strategies toward the algorithmic surveillance of Taobao Live, China’s preeminent consumer live broadcast platform. Through semi-structured interviews with 34 full-time rural streamers and two rounds of fieldwork spanning approximately a year in a southwestern Chinese county, this research elucidates three categories of visibility-based uncertainties that prompt streamers’ cognizance of algorithmic surveillance and inform their strategic responses. Participants interpret algorithmic surveillance through the lens of three predominant observers: curation algorithms, human moderators, and the audience. These perceived observers work on coordinating three forms of visibility—algorithmic visibility, moderator visibility, and audience visibility—aimed at regulating the independent streamers’ activities. Contrary to the common belief, we found that heightened online visibility in agricultural product live streams on Taobao Live does not always yield advantageous outcomes.