Platform regulation; What does it mean for the users?
One of the main outcomes in the rise of platforms and platform economy, is the nature in which the platforms users are now generating revenue for themselves as a result of utilising that platform. Examples for some would be the Kardashian/Jenner clan, and their advertisement empire they have constructed through ads and giveaways through the Instagram platform. Similarly, many influencers follow the same marketing and revenue strategy, as their followers look on and generate said revenue and freely give their personal data to platforms as a result. However, the main question to focus on moving toward the future of platforms is; are workers being empowered or exploited by platform (Daisy Chan, Freek Voortman, & Sarah Rogers, 2018)? If so, what regulatory policies can be established to combat the exploitation of users?
It has been established that data comes to the forefront of user exploitation. The Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandal sold the Trump political campaign the profiles of Facebook’s that would potentially vote in the upcoming elections (Confessore, 2018), fallout being that Facebook CEO Mark Zukerburg testified in front of Congress, that even he believed there should be some regulation of his platforms (Confessore, 2018). So what does this mean when the CEO of the world’s largest data farm admits that his platforms must be regulated, but where to begin? In terms of platform regulation for governmental organisation, it can be directed as a mutual exploitation for both the platform users and bureaucratic institutions. As a result of the rise of the coined term ‘fake news’ in past years on multiple platforms, Twitter incorporated a fact checking icon to let its users know when information may not be correct, as to benefit its users in the understanding of disinformation growth in the political field. This is a policy that categorically puts the users first in an effort to lessen the effect of governmental exploitation.
The private content website OnlyFans, instigated monetary regulation changes in 2020, changing the tip price to one hundred dollars maximum in the first four months of a new user, and two hundred after that concurrently (Carman, 2020), in an aid to shield its paying user customer base from overspending on donations to content creators. However, this does not support or protect the creators, and the policy change has been at the cost of the workers who were previously on the site, making the policy change inefficacious in its inclusion. The belief is that the platform policy making has to include all on the platform in order to be incorporated.
In summary, regulatory platform policies must be established to benefit the user. User protection policies should be implemented for data security and to subjugate the disinformation that these platforms produce on mass. Corporations such as Facebook should face and change the issue of their data collection, but will it change as more and more users flock to online platforms?
Carman, A. (2020). OnlyFans confirms new caps on tips and pay-per-view content, but says the changes are unrelated to Bella Thorne. The Verge. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/1/21405540/onlyfans-rule-change-tips-pay-update-bella-thorne
Confessore, N. (2018). Cambridge Analytica and Facebook: The Scandal and the Fallout So Far. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/04/us/politics/cambridge-analytica-scandal-fallout.html
Daisy Chan, Freek Voortman, & Sarah Rogers. (2018). The rise of platform economy. Deloittle. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/nl/Documents/humancapital/deloitte-nl-hc-reshaping-work-conference.pdf
