Transformation of the global digital labour marketplace: the challenges to digital service delivery via mediating platforms

Digital labour platforms are regarded as the closest proxy of a labour market with global competition. However, these platforms are increasingly subject to geopolitical, regulatory, technological and market pressures that affect their global delivery model. This article argues that in order to understand the dynamics in global digital service delivery you need to understand the dynamics in the platform business model and the external challenges to it. Based on the longitudinal monitoring of the largest global platform for digital labour (Upwork), this article discusses the transformation of Upwork into an active market intermediary and how the platform might rather deglobalize through a combination of external challenges. The article questions the market power and reach of digital labour platforms and the extent to which they form a planetary labour market.