Law and Order: The Political Power and Constraints of Labor Governance in China's Platform Economy

While the platform economy in China has received increasing scholarly attention, most studies focus on platform work in the context of algorithmic control, overlooking the legal and political context in which digital labor operates. To address this knowledge gap, this article analyzes the labor regulatory framework that governs China's platform economy. It argues that there is a deficiency in China's labor laws, which can explain the lack of protection for platform workers. However, this legal loophole is essential to the survival of platform businesses as it makes platform labor profitable for both the platform and workers. In response, the state has developed a strategy to pressure platform companies to improve working conditions, consistent with the increasing control and discipline exerted by state actors in China's economy today.