Remotasks is a real platform run by Scale AI, and its current terms still cover paid AI data tasks for contractors aged 18 or over. The catch is big, though: it pulled out of several countries without much warning, it pays task by task with no contract, and Scale can deactivate accounts at any time, so check it's open where you live first.
Remotasks used to be one of the first names people mentioned for online AI work, and then the stories changed to country closures and blocked accounts. So when someone asks me whether it's legit, the honest answer has two parts: who's behind it, and whether it's still a sensible place to spend your time. I've read Remotasks' own terms of use and the main press reports to answer both.
Who owns Remotasks: the Scale AI connection
Remotasks' terms of use name the operator as Scale AI, Inc., a Delaware corporation, together with affiliates including Smart Ecosystem Inc. Scale AI is a large data company that helps AI developers train their models, and Wikipedia describes Remotasks as the crowdworking platform it set up in 2017 to label data for computer vision and self-driving cars.
Scale AI isn't going anywhere either. Wikipedia reports that Meta agreed in 2025 to take a 49% non-voting stake in Scale AI, which stays a standalone company. That's a sign of how much money flows through this kind of work. It isn't a promise about how any one worker is treated.
Is Remotasks still running?
This is the question that matters most, so here's what the sources say. Remotasks hasn't shut down altogether. Its terms of use page is live, with an effective date of October 21, 2025, and those terms still describe how Tasks, payments and accounts work.
But it has shrunk. Rest of World reported in 2024 that Remotasks shut down in Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan and stopped accepting sign-ups in Thailand, Vietnam and Poland. Scale AI pointed to enhanced security protocols and said existing contractors in Poland, India, Thailand and Vietnam could still use the platform. Business Daily Africa reported that Kenyan users were taken off their projects and told completed work would still be paid to the payment account on their profile.
The same terms also cover Outlier, which Wikipedia describes as a separate Scale AI platform for generative AI work such as evaluating chatbot answers. If you're weighing the two, Outlier is the one built around newer AI training projects. Either way, check the sign-up page from your own country before you invest any time.
What Remotasks work involves
The platform was built around labelling: drawing boxes around objects in images, tagging data, checking outputs. The terms describe the work as Tasks that you choose for yourself. Nobody assigns you a schedule and nobody supervises how you do the work, but the platform checks it before you're paid.
If you enjoy careful, repetitive detail work, it can suit you. If you want predictable hours, it won't. For a broader look at data-heavy remote roles that come with a real employer, my piece on what a remote data analyst job involves is a useful contrast.
How Remotasks pays, according to its terms
The terms set out the basics of pay, and they're worth reading slowly:
- You're paid after you complete the Tasks you selected and they're verified as accurate.
- You need an approved payment method that can receive US dollars or the specified currency.
- Nothing is deducted for income tax or social contributions except where the law requires it, and you're responsible for your own taxes.
- Remotasks won't reimburse any costs, such as your internet or equipment.
- Payment can be delayed or suspended during an investigation, and breaking the rules can mean you're not paid at all.
I couldn't confirm current pay rates or payout methods from Remotasks' own pages, so I won't repeat the figures you'll see on blogs. Rest of World described Remotasks as paying task to task, with no contract binding workers to the company. Treat any rate you see as specific to that task, not a wage.
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The risks of relying on Remotasks
I'd be doing you a disservice if I made this sound simple. These are the risks the sources point to:
- Accounts can end without notice. The terms say the company may terminate, suspend or deactivate an account immediately without prior notice, for any reason. It does promise a final payment for completed Tasks.
- Whole countries have been cut off. The closures reported in 2024 show access can change quickly.
- You're an independent contractor. The terms say so plainly, and that you're not entitled to unemployment insurance through the company.
- One account only. The terms allow a single account per person, so never buy, sell or share one.
- Fair work concerns. According to Wikipedia, a 2022 Oxford Internet Institute study found Remotasks met minimum standards of fair work in one of ten criteria.
Avoiding Remotasks impostors
I couldn't find an official scam warning from Remotasks itself, so this is my own practical advice based on its terms. The real platform lets you choose Tasks and pays you through the payment method on your profile. That means anyone who wants a fee to "open up" tasks, offers to sell you a ready-made account, or asks you to pay for training isn't following how Remotasks works.
Be especially wary of accounts offered for countries where sign-ups have closed. The terms allow one account per person, and using someone else's can get you deactivated without pay. If you're hunting for remote work more generally, my look at whether FlexJobs is worth paying for covers vetted job sources.
Remotasks at a glance
| Question | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Who runs it? | Scale AI, Inc. and affiliates, per its terms |
| Still operating? | Yes, terms effective October 21, 2025, but not in every country |
| Minimum age | At least 18, or the age of legal majority where you live |
| Employment status | Independent contractor |
| Can my account be closed? | Yes, immediately and without notice, with a final payment for completed Tasks |
My verdict on Remotasks
It's legit in the sense that it's owned by a major, well-funded company and its terms commit to paying for verified work. But it's one of the riskier AI work platforms to rely on, because access depends heavily on where you live and accounts can be closed at any time. If it's open in your country, treat it as occasional side income and keep records for tax. If it isn't, don't go looking for workarounds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Remotasks legit?
Yes. Remotasks is run by Scale AI, Inc. and its affiliates, and its terms commit to paying contractors for completed, verified Tasks. Availability varies by country.
Has Remotasks shut down?
Not entirely. Its terms of use carry an effective date of October 21, 2025. Press reports say it shut down in Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan in 2024 and stopped sign-ups in some other countries.
Is Remotasks the same as Outlier?
No. Both are run by Scale AI and covered by the same terms, but Wikipedia describes Outlier as a separate platform focused on generative AI work.
How old do you have to be for Remotasks?
Its terms say you must be at least 18 years old or the age of legal majority where you live.
Can Remotasks close my account?
Yes. Its terms say the company may deactivate an account immediately without prior notice for any reason, then issue a final payment for completed Tasks.
