Platform Economies of Debility

Abstract In recent years, numerous studies have indicated a strong connection between accidents and platformed delivery work. This article examines food delivery platforms in Singapore to explore how injuries are funneled into an economy of debility, where injury is directed toward profitable ends. Responding to this in Singapore, the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers forwarded plans to include platform workers under the Workers Injury Compensation Act (WICA), the country's workers’ compensation program, in 2022. The article assesses this move by analyzing three key areas: the sentimental videos used to justify this policy, dashcam footage of accidents on social media, and the accident insurance provided by platforms. Videos reflect on how injury is consistently presented as a personal issue that exacerbates a culture of debility by leading workers to downplay risks. This also shapes public sentiment, making it more likely that delivery workers are blamed for accidents. Platforms then monetize injury by implementing measures to reduce claims from accident policies, and by transforming workers into consumers of personalized insurance products. Together, these analyses provide a critical reading of the progressiveness of WICA, revealing its necessary interventions but also the compromises involved in recognizing debility.