Human directing the Loop? Rethinking automation through Chinese transnational platform expansion in Oceania

Abstract

Digital platforms are often portrayed as increasingly dependent on automation to optimise user engagement and streamline governance, a logic commonly captured by the notion of the ‘human-in-the-loop’. Emerging evidence from transnational platforms, however, points to a more hybrid operational model in which algorithmic systems are actively steered through context-sensitive human intervention. This article examines Bigo Live, a Chinese-owned livestreaming platform, as it expands into Oceania, specifically Australia, New Zealand (ANZ), and Papua New Guinea. Drawing on in-depth qualitative research, including interviews and participant observation conducted in Guangzhou and Sydney, the study demonstrates that Bigo’s internationalisation relies heavily on human-led adaptation to negotiate intercultural sensitivities, localise marketing strategies, and comply with highly varied content regulations. Unexpected developments, such as the platform’s unanticipated popularity in Papua New Guinea, reveal the limitations of automation and the continuing centrality of human labour in recalibrating platform operations. The article introduces the concept of ‘human-directing-the-loop’ to describe a mode of platform governance in which human labour does not simply validate algorithmic outputs, but actively shapes how automation is deployed across culturally, legally, and infrastructurally uneven transnational environments.