At a Glance
- The International Labour Organization (ILO) has adopted a convention that establishes a framework for laws governing “digital platform work.”
- Although the Convention will not directly affect U.S. law, it was adopted by a wide margin and may materially shape the law in many ILO member countries.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) voted to adopt a new Convention regarding “digital platform work.” The convention aims to close a perceived gap between the rights of workers on digital platforms and workers in more traditional employer-employee relationships. If ratified by individual ILO member countries, the Convention may very well expand existing rights for certain platform workers regarding pay, job protections, health & safety, social benefits, and data privacy. And while it is unlikely to be ratified in the United States, it is likely to be ratified in dozens of other countries, including in the European Union, which recently enacted a directive on platform