Why do drivers build their own knowledge bases and networks, outside of the platforms, to navigate everyday challenges. Should these networks be incorporated into the platforms?
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In our series Platform Futures we speak to academics and experts to explore the potential and the risks of technology platforms in the Asia-Pacific region, especially the frictions that emerge in societies over-dependent on platforms.
In this module we speak to Rida Qadri, a PhD Candidate in Urban Information Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2019-20, Rida made multiple visits to Jakarta where she spent time exploring the local gig economy, speaking to Go Jek and Grab drivers, collecting data, and learning first hand how the mobility and delivery economy is developing in Jakarta. Rida’s interests lie in empirically studying emerging technologies within non-western spaces, focusing on users traditionally rendered invisible in technological design. You can follow her on Twitter @qadrida.
We cover the following topics. You may choose to watch them in the sequence presented or jump straight to any chapter that interests you.
1. Introduction to the key platforms in Indonesia
2. Spending a day on a super app in Jakarta
3. Go-Jek vs Grab
4. Offline matching: A case study on how local context shapes global platforms
5. The frictions of algorithmic matching
6. Platformising driver knowledge and networks
7. The relationship between gig workers and the platform
8. Go Jek’s “special” relationship with the Indonesian State
9. Emerging regulatory landscape for mobility and delivery apps in Indonesia
For more information about Digital Asia Hub and Platform Futures visit www.digitalasiahub.org
