Digital Workers in the Global Value Chain Trap (Global Value Chain)

The algorithmic work phenomenon does not stand alone. It is part of the restructuring of global capitalism within the framework ofGlobal Value Chain(GVC). In this framework, the system divides work tasks across countries, but global corporations retain control over algorithm design, data ownership, and economic value accumulation. Indonesian digital workers, such as content moderators ormicrotaskon global platforms, become part of this production chain without clear legal status and transnational protection. The global platform ecosystem absorbs the added value they produce, but they remain at the bottom of the hierarchy. This situation creates a structure of "digital extraction", where labor in developing countries is exploited both locally and in an unequal GVC structure. The UNCTAD report (2021) confirms this major risk. Developing countries like Indonesia are vulnerable due to a lack of data sovereignty and institutional capacity. Therefore, labor law reform mustgo hand in handwith a national strategy to "move up the ranks" in the digital GVC. This strategy includes data protection, strengthening bargaining positions against global platforms, and investing in open technology.

The Hesitant Role of the State Amidst Digital Disruption

Unfortunately, countries are often neutral and see technology as inevitable. In fact, technology is a product of policy. When the state is passive, the logic of profit-oriented algorithms will take control of socio-economic relations. Without progressive state intervention, algorithms will replace laws as the main regulators of working life. We are witnessing how corporations monopolize work data, algorithms discriminate against workers based on pseudo-performance, and workers have no recourse against automated decisions. This is not just a consumer protection issue, but a crisis of justice in the structure of work. The unclear legal status of digital workers leaves them thrown out of the social safety net, the right to organize, and OHS protection. The state must not allow digital platforms to become lawless territories.