Amazon Announces Phase-Out of Crowdsourced Service Mechanical Turk
Amazon has announced that it will be phasing out its crowdsourced labor marketplace, Mechanical Turk (MTurk), after more than two decades in operation. The company stated on Tuesday that the decision is part of a regular evaluation process for its programs and services. Launched over 21 years ago, MTurk allowed businesses to post small tasks—such as data labeling or content moderation—for individuals around the world to complete for payment. While it became an important tool in early crowdsourcing efforts, Amazon has now decided that continuing operations is no longer aligned with its strategic goals. The move signals a shift away from this particular model of micro-task labor and may impact researchers, developers, and workers who have relied on MTurk as a source of income or data collection.
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Topics: Amazon crowdsourcing labor marketplace Mechanical Turk