Regimes of socio-technical control in Spanish care platform work

Abstract

The study examines how platform models manage worker autonomy and structure employment relations through distinct regimes of socio-technical control. Drawing on a mapping of platforms and interviews with workers, we analyse the platform governance in the three types of platforms operating in Spain in the care sector. All three platform models rely on algorithmic management and the individualisation of risk, particularly affecting migrant women. However, they differ in their organisational logic. Marketplaces operate through open competition and self-regulation, maximising autonomy but also insecurity. On-demand platforms employ labour dependency and algorithmic control logics, resulting in gig work characterised by highly unstable, poorly paid, and discontinuous work opportunities. Digital agencies centralise control and selectively formalise employment, offering limited security at the cost of autonomy and transparency. This article highlights how care platform models shape labour through different platform-specific strategies that redefine working conditions, job security, and value of care work.