Lecture 12 - Platform capitalism

Question 1

Unique Labor Status in digital platforms: Independent Contractors

Answer 1

Workers on platforms like Uber, Deliveroo, or Fiverr are classified as independent contractors, not employees.
This means: Fewer labor rights (no minimum wage, sick leave, or job security), No collective bargaining, No employer-provided benefits.

Question 2

Digital platforms externalizing Risk

Answer 2

Platforms shift risks (e.g., income instability, equipment costs, health risks) onto workers. The company avoids responsibility while still controlling the labor process through algorithms and ratings.

Question 3

Machinic Subjugation (Lazzarato)

Answer 3

Maurizio Lazzarato describes machinic subjugation as a form of control that operates below the level of conscious awareness. It’s not about forcing people to obey, but about shaping behavior automatically through systems and interfaces. This happens through preconscious cues, routines, and feedback loops embedded in technology.

Question 4

Means of Behavioral Modification (Zuboff)

Answer 4

Shoshana Zuboff, in her theory of surveillance capitalism, explains how digital platforms use data and algorithms to predict and steer behavior. These systems don’t just observe—they nudge, prompt, and condition users to act in certain ways, often without them realizing it. automated systems in cars, automtic queuing and push notifications.

Question 5

Traditional vs. Radical Monopoly (Illich)

Answer 5

Traditional Monopoly: A single company dominates a market (e.g., one electricity provider).
Radical Monopoly: A technology or system becomes so dominant that it redefines what is considered normal or necessary, making alternatives invisible or obsolete.

Question 6

Dependency Effect

Answer 6

Over time, users become dependent on platforms for: Social validation, Information, Emotional regulation. This dependency reinforces the radical monopoly—platforms don’t just dominate the market, they shape human behavior and cognition.

Question 7

3 main mechanisms when investing in technologies that undermine labour resistance

Answer 7

1. Deskilling and expanding labor competition
2. Lengthening the working day
3. Intensifying labour productivity

Question 8

Applied to Labor Platforms: Algorithms as Synopticon

Answer 8

The Synopticon (many watching the few) replaces the Panopticon (few watching the many). In platform work: Customers rate workers, Apps monitor behavior, Workers self-discipline to maintain ratings and avoid deactivation
This creates a system of control through visibility, where workers are constantly aware they are being watched—not by a boss, but by data and users.

Question 9

Marx on workplace injuries in digital platforms

Answer 9

The modern platform economy pushes workers to exceed human limits, echoing Marx’s concerns but in a digital context. The system prioritizes speed, flexibility, and competition over health, dignity, and sustainability.