Overview
- The International Labour Organization approved the Convention on Decent Work in the Platform Economy on June 12, 2026, creating the first international labour standard aimed at app-based work.
- The text defines digital platforms and platform workers and requires signatory states to guarantee minimum-equivalent pay that excludes tips and commissions, social protection, workplace health and safety, and compensation for work-related expenses.
- The Convention obliges states to require algorithmic transparency and to provide mechanisms for workers to contest automated decisions such as deactivations, and it protects the rights to organize and bargain collectively.
- The treaty urges countries to ensure correct employment classification of platform relationships, a step that could force changes to contracts, tax rules, and corporate practices and may prompt legal challenges by major platforms.
- Negotiations on platform rules began in 2023 and next steps now depend on national ratification and implementation, so the Convention’s real-world impact will vary by country and shape future workplace and regulatory debates.