Fair Work for Platform Workers: Lessons from the EU Directive and Beyond The adoption of an EU Directive on Platform Work in March 2024 signals a crucial acknowledgement of the need for legal regulation of a burgeoning form of w

New publication alert.

In "Fair Work for Platform Workers: Lessons from the EU Directive and Beyond", we analyse the EU Directive on platform work based on the Fairwork Principles. With Sandra Fredman, Darcy du Toit, Alessio Bertolini and Mark Graham.

academic.oup.com/ilj/advance-...

ChatGPT makes users stupider (or increases cognitive debt, in a polite way of saying this).

www.media.mit.edu/publications...

Uma decisão extremamente importante. As práticas antic-competitivas do Google são bastante problemáticas e é bom ver como as punições têm avançado, mesmo que lentamente. Discuti várias delas no meu doutorado que depois virou o livro "das plataformas online aos monopólios digitais".

A/HRC/59/53: Artificial intelligence procurement and deployment: ensuring alignment with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights - Report of the Working Group on the issue of human rights ... In the present report, the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises clarifies the ways in which the Guiding Principles on Business and H...

The UN's WGBHR group released the "Report on Artificial intelligence procurement and deployment: ensuring alignment with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights". I am glad to see our contribution from the Fairwork Project mentioned twice in the document. www.ohchr.org/en/documents...

Guardian headline saying, "‘It’s terrifying’: WhatsApp AI helper mistakenly shares user’s number Chatbot tries to change subject after serving up unrelated user’s mobile to man asking for rail firm helpline"

'Meredith,' some guys ask, 'why won't you shove AI into Signal?'

Because we love privacy, and we love you, and this shit is predictable and unacceptable. Use Signal ❤️

This is the gentle singularity? Sam Altman says the AI utopia is already here — in a manifesto aimed at raising money from the Saudis. On the real vs imagined manifestations of modern AI.

What does OpenAI and Sam Altman's "Gentle Singularity" look like in practice? Great rundown from @bcmerchant.bsky.social:
• Fund raising from Saudi Arabia and UAE
• Major partnerships with US military
• Working with fossil fuel companies to hyperscale AI www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/this-is-th...

ILO Commits to International Standards on Gig Work The agreement on June 13, 2025, by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to develop binding global standards on decent work in the “platform economy,” or gig work, is a positive breakthrough.

Fantastic news from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Congrats on all unions, governments and civil society organizations pushing for this landmark achievement.

www.hrw.org/news/2025/06...

IA sem regulação é isso: cidadãos vulneráveis a todo tipo de abuso e golpe.

Placa enferrujada cravada em meio a uma plantação de milho em terreno plano, sob céu parcialmente nublado. A placa é do Governo Federal e traz os dizeres: "Governo Federal - Ministério da Justiça - Fundação Nacional do Índio - Terra Protegida". Em vermelho, destaca-se “Terra Protegida”. Abaixo, a placa informa: “Acesso interditado a pessoas estranhas - Artigo nº 231 da Constituição Federal, Artigo nº 18, § 1º da Lei nº 6001/73, Artigo nº 161 do Código Penal”. Ao fundo, vê-se o extenso milharal e, no horizonte, uma edificação isolada no canto direito.

🏹 SENADO CONTRA INDÍGENAS

O Senado aprovou um projeto que suspende três decretos de Lula que homologavam terras indígenas em SC. A decisão ainda segue para a Câmara, mas já gerou forte reação de indígenas e juristas que defendem os direitos constitucionais dos povos originários.

I really wish I could just let Palestinians tell their stories themselves without me because without interference from tech companies they do such a good job at it (I added the captions)

Message from Taraji to @bsky.app

Congresso a serviço dos empresários contra o povo brasileiro. Dificultam a arrecadação taxando os mais ricos e depois impõem cortes às políticas sociais do governo alegando "rigor fiscal".

Do you use GenAI to summarise research pieces?

So it is worth seeing this vital paper. LLMs are up to 5 times less accurate in summarising scientific research than human reviews.

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10....

I am thrilled to share the new Fairwork Cloudwork report I led. We assessed 16 online remote work platforms globally against five principles of fair work. Come and see who performed best and who is failing workers.

Online gig economy exposes global labour protection failures, Oxford study finds Most online gig economy platforms are failing to meet even minimum labour standards around pay, working conditions and contracts.

Great piece from HR Review highlighting a new report from @towardsfairwork.bsky.social exposing corporate failure to provide adequate worker protections in Cloudwork economy. Article includes comment from @geoplace.bsky.social and @jonasvalente.bsky.social @oii.ox.ac.uk. Story here: bit.ly/45hbFTh

A UK-EU youth mobility scheme could feed a generation into exploitative gig work The UK–EU Youth Mobility Scheme offers real promise.

Jonas Valente and I have just published a new @lbc.co.uk opinion piece, drawing on our @towardsfairwork.bsky.social cloudwork study to warn that a UK–EU youth mobility scheme could inadvertently funnel young people into exploitative gig roles: www.lbc.co.uk/opinion/view...
@jonasvalente.bsky.social

Amazing work by the @aoir.bsky.social.

Betar would have the US deport Mosab Abu Toha, who just won the Pulitzer Prize, for his speech defending the freedom and life of his own people - and chronicling Israel’s destruction of Gaza. He has had to retreat from public life for his own safety. This is Trump’s US.

New report launch alert!

Fairwork Cloudwork Ratings 2025

On May 20, we’re launching the latest Cloudwork Ratings, scoring 16 major platforms on five principles of fair work: pay, conditions, contracts, management, and representation.
🗓️ May 20 | 🕑 2PM BST | 💻 Online
🔗 Register now: lnkd.in/dpfsAcF6

Um dia de Sul, IA e muitas mentes pensantes 🧠💡
Global Southing Internet, Data and AI Studies Workshop parte do @oii.ox.ac.uk na @ox.ac.uk coordenado por @jonasvalente.bsky.social

Close up photo of seminar room - Jonas Valente sits at a table in front of the projector screen. The table has microphones and a jug of water. Jonas looks at his laptop. on the projector screen behind him, the title screen of the workshop reads 'Global Southing Internet, Data, and AI Studies Workshop'

screenshot of the title card of Emma's powerpoint presentation - 'Digital Public History and Generative AI in Nigeria' - logos of African Studies Centre, Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership, University of Oxford, and Oxford School of Global and Area Studies arranged along the bottom of the screen.

spent the last two days at the 'Global Southing Internet, Data, and AI Studies Workshop', organised by @jonasvalente.bsky.social at the Oxford Internet Institute - so many brilliant papers and generative conversations - and enjoyed presenting my own research on Nigeria

Despite all these attempts to weaken the struggle, the strike was strong and exposed the dependence of companies on the work of delivery workers.

● Direct pressure on delivery workers, with messages, warnings on apps and even threats to block those who stop working;
● Monitoring of social media and WhatsApp groups, trying to the mobilization with disinformation and intimidation.

● Fake promotions and incentives to keep delivery workers on the road during the strike;
● Emergency opening of new registrations, throwing more people into precarious labor precariousness to cover the strikers;

Their silence makes it clear that the category's indignation is worth no more than the billion-dollar profits they accumulate by exploiting the work of delivery workers.
As well as ignoring the demands, the platforms have adopted a series of practices to try to
demobilize the strike:

The mobilization gained widespread visibility in the media. None of the platform companies have commented on the strike or opened any dialogue with the workers.

The movement took place in over a hundred cities, and had a direct impact on apps, on customer requests and on media repercussions.

Restaurants reported drops of up to 100% in orders via delivery orders, users faced delays of hours and large centers registered blackouts of delivery workers.

DELIVERY WORKERS STOPPED IN MORE THAN 100 CITIES, BUT COMPANIES IGNORED DEMANDS AND ACTED TO DEMOBILIZE THE MOVEMENT

On March 31 and April 1, delivery workers from all over Brazil held the National Apps Strike 2025, a massive strike against the exploitation of platforms.

Brazilian delivery workers stopped working for two days to demand better working conditions. This was a historical protest, but even with over 100 cities involved, delivery platforms refused to negotiate.

Please see the strike organisation movement statement as follows.

Hamdan's Oscar acceptance speech on ABC

Hamdan Ballal, Academy Award winning co-director of No Other Land, has reportedly been kidnapped and imprisoned by the IDF

OII | Global Southing Internet, Data and AI Studies Workshop This workshop aims to facilitate dialogues between UK scholars and approaches from the Global South in the field of Internet and Data Studies.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will host a fantastic event at the Oxford Internet Institute to highlight theories, approaches, and methods from Global South countries related to the Internet, data, and AI.

www.oii.ox.ac.uk/news-events/...