NEW WORK CONFIGURATIONS AND THE PERSISTENCE OF EXPROPRIATION:

AN ANALYSIS OF THE OVEREXPLOITATION OF LABOR BY DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Abstract

This article proposes a discussion on the expropriation of labor through an analysis of platform-mediated work in the 21st century. In this regard, it presents a historical overview of economic and sociocultural situations that have directly impacted transformations in the world of work and served as precursors to the digital platformization of labor — particularly through the shift from Fordism/Taylorism to Toyotism as the dominant labor paradigm from the second half of the 20th century to the present day. The objective is to analyze how platform-based labor can lead to the overexploitation of workers, intensifying labor and perpetuating expropriation. The justification and relevance of this article lie in its critical perspective, which considers the totality of these new labor relations that obscure the capital-labor relationship and drive workers toward a discourse of autonomy and flexibility that further precarizes their labor. As a result, we observe that the incorporation of digital platforms into workers' daily routines has increased both the exploitation and intensification of labor.