Towards a feminist understanding of digital platform work

TL;DR

This paper applies feminist theories to analyze digital platform work, highlighting issues of exploitation, inequality, and power imbalances, and proposing a framework for future research and structural reforms.

Contribution

It introduces a feminist framework with four key dimensions to better understand and address inequalities in digital platform labor.

Findings

Algorithmic management impacts marginalized groups disproportionately

Framework emphasizes precarity, surveillance, boundary blurring, and colonial legacies

Calls for participatory research and transparency in platform governance

Abstract

The rapid growth of the digital platform economy is transforming labor markets, offering new employment opportunities with promises of flexibility and accessibility. However, these benefits often come at the expense of increased economic exploitation, occupational segregation, and deteriorating working conditions. Research highlights that algorithmic management disproportionately impacts marginalized groups, reinforcing gendered and racial inequalities while deepening power imbalances within capitalist systems. This study seeks to elucidate the complex nature of digital platform work by drawing on feminist theories that have historically scrutinized and contested the structures of power within society, especially in the workplace. It presents a framework focused on four key dimensions to lay a foundation for future research: (i) precarity and exploitation, (ii) surveillance and control, (iii) blurring employment boundaries, and (iv) colonial legacies. It advocates for participatory research, transparency in platform governance, and structural changes to promote more equitable conditions for digital platform workers.