The digital platform model of the gig economy can also create social good

Digital platforms like Uber and Airbnb bring buyers and sellers together and create gig economy opportunities that did not exist before them. But they have problems too, and have been criticized for exclusionary practices, digital surveillance, and other questionable policies. However, this type of platform also has the potential to create social value. The Platform Commons Foundation is an Indian non-profit that seeks to build these platforms to address global grand challenges, writes Desautels Dean Yolande E. Chan in The Conversation. It has launched platforms focused on poverty alleviation, providing quality education and decent work, improving economic growth and reducing inequalities. One — called I Got Garbage — transformed the lives of waste management workers in India, who faced frequent harassment and exploitation, by helping them earn a steady income and a dignified livelihood.