Platform Capitalism Under Scrutiny: Labor, Algorithms, and Regulatory Responses In Comparative Perspective

Open Sessions. Digital platforms –Uber, Amazon, Deliveroo and Airbnb, etc.– are reconfiguring labour relations on a global scale in accordance with neoliberal logics. This reconfiguration is characterised by the externalisation of risk, the prevalence of precarious employment, the extreme flexibilisation of work, and the capture of value through opaque algorithms. Platform profits are primarily dependent on the classification of workers as 'independent', thereby avoiding social contributions, and on 'algorithmic rent' that escapes registration and control. Labour control is exercised through ratings, automated assignments, and non-transparent deactivations. In response to this reconfiguration, various regulatory approaches have emerged. The European General Data Protection Regulation and algorithmic accountability proposals seek to impose mandatory audits and the right to explanation. Emerging legislation, such as the European Directive 2024/2831 on platform work, establishes a presumption of employment status, while countries (Spain) or states (California) attempt to reverse this imbalance. At the global level, ILO is advancing minimum protection frameworks applicable regardless of jurisdiction.

To operationalise these dynamics, multidimensional indicators are proposed: effective vs. formal employment rate, platform/standard employment wage gap, market concentration index, estimated contribution evasion ratio, and level of algorithmic transparency by company. Measuring and generating related indicators is an urgent necessity, and should involve cross-referencing tax data, surveys on working conditions, and independent technology audits.

This session is devoted to examining profit production modes, algorithmic management, and institutional representation from a comparative perspective. This framework will enable transnational comparisons and allow for the assessment of regulatory effectiveness against the structural power of platforms