Millions of people across the world now work remotely for freelance and microwork platforms, creating a largely invisible workforce, often based in low-income countries, that offer outsourcing services to international clients and help power AI systems. While online work has been associated with freedom and empowerment and a borderless labour market, a new report by from the Oxford Internet Institute, part of the University of Oxford, reveals that these ‘ghost’ workers often face low pay, risky and exploitative conditions, opaque disciplinary systems and little to no bargaining power. The Oxford report calls for greater protections for gig workers across the globe.

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Data is everywhere and it is an increasingly valuable asset for firms, governments, and society at large. Due to its importance, it is no surprise that the issue is high on international policy agendas. However, a growing polarization in policy debates hampers constructive ways forward to handle the massive amounts of data across borders, which now underpin almost all human activities.

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