Platform work database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s Platform Work Database provides information on 456 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in May 2026 and provides metadata for each entry, such as geographical scope, year, type of initiative, actors involved, sector and companies concerned. Initiatives include legal instruments such as legislative changes or court decisions, as well as voluntary interventions undertaken by different stakeholders to address issues around platform work.
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The database currently contains 456 entries and was last updated in May 2026.
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Italy
The Italian Government issued the Decree-Law No. 62/2026 ("Primo Maggio") on 30 April 2026. The decree covers employment incentives, fair wages, and measures to combat digital labour exploitation ("caporalato digitale"). On platform work generally, the decree establishes that employment status is determined by actual working conditions, not contract labels. Where a platform exercises algorithmic control over workers (task assignment, pay, access), an employment relationship is presumed, rebuttable by the platform. Platforms must be transparent about how algorithms affect workers, retain operational data for five years, and allow workers to request human review of automated decisions. Riders specifically must use verified personal accounts, receive monthly pay statements, and complete safety training within 30 days of starting. The decree makes only a partial and implicit step towards transposition of the Platform Work Directive. The preamble references the Directive, and several provisions, particularly the employment presumption and algorithmic transparency rules, broadly align with it. However, the decree does not formally transpose the Directive in full: it does not implement all its requirements systematically, and Italy will need further legislation to complete transposition. Notably, the decree extends certain existing rider protections (already in Legislative Decree 81/2015) rather than building an entirely new framework from the Directive.
This digital story presents headline findings on the working conditions and information needs of online platform workers across key areas: Who platform workers are; Where they operate geographically; Their working conditions and earnings; How algorithmic management impacts their work; Information needs about rights and protecting workers in the digital economy.
This report analyses the working conditions and information needs of online platform workers based on a survey of 3 830 workers across 15 EU Member States. Unlike existing research focused on on-location platform work, this study examines workers who provide services entirely online. The findings reveal a workforce that is predominantly male, of prime working age and highly educated, primarily delivering skilled professional services rather than microtasks.
Building on Eurofound’s established conceptual framework of the digital age, this concept paper examines how the unfolding artificial intelligence wave is set to transform not only the world of work and employment, but also the wider fabric of society, from the delivery and quality of public services to the production, dissemination and governance of information. The analysis is guided by four vectors of change – automation, augmentation, digitisation and platformisation – identified as the central drivers shaping this transformation. The concepts presented in this paper will inform Eurofound’s future research on artificial intelligence and algorithmic management.
Findings of a new Eurofound–ELA survey conducted in 15 Member States confirm the widespread use of intrusive algorithmic management practices in online platform work.
This working paper aims to provide an overview of the legal landscape of online platform work in the EU, focusing on a set of key issues relating to the rights and protections of online platform workers. Specifically, regulations concerning working conditions and social protection, the complexities of cross-border platform work, and regulations on algorithmic management, data privacy, and protection.
This article explores how algorithmic management operates, distinguishing between rule-based and AI-driven approaches, and examines how it automates key managerial functions such as planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. It also considers the implications for workers’ employment status, drawing on recent court rulings, and assesses its impact on working conditions, highlighting both potential benefits such as efficiency gains and risks including reduced autonomy, unfair treatment and privacy infringements.
