RELEASE: REP. RO KHANNA INTRODUCES RESOLUTION TO PROTECT CREATORS IN THE MODERN PLATFORM-BASED ECONOMY

Washington, DC - Today, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) introduced the Creator Bill of Rights, a resolution supporting fairer treatment, economic security, and transparency for creators and digital workers in the modern platform-based economy.

Worth $250 billion globally and expected to reach $480 billion by 2027, the creator economy provides income for 12% of U.S. adults and has emerged as a full-time job for more than 10 million Americans. According to a recent study from Creators 4 Mental Health and Lupiani Insights & Strategies, a majority of full-time creators report experiencing burnout or anxiety, with some also reporting suicidal ideation linked to income instability and unpredictable platform changes.

Platform-driven work is frequently characterized by unpredictable income, opaque rules, and sudden algorithm changes that can drastically reduce creators' earnings without notice or recourse. With the help of creators, advocates, and industry leaders will strengthen creators' bargaining power overcompensation, data access, and working conditions for creators who are classified as independent contractors. 

The resolution seeks to:

1. Guarantee access to affordable, reliable, and portable health care options for creators and digital workers, so that coverage is not dependent on a single employer or platform.

2. Ensure that digital workers can easily carry benefits across gigs and platforms, including establishing portable benefit systems and retirement plan options designed for independent workers.

3. Require online platforms to offer clear, transparent, and predictable revenue-sharing terms between platforms and creators for the content and labor that generate value for those platforms.

4. Grant creators the ability to maintain decentralized, opt-in, direct relationships with audiences who choose to engage with their work, which enables creators to move between platforms without losing their audiences. 

5. Offer robust small business resources to creators and digital workers, support transparency around platform algorithms that affect compensation and visibility and protect workers against misclassification under existing federal labor law.

6. Guarantee access to timely, responsive customer support and a clear appeal process for creators and digital workers when platform actions materially affect their accounts, content, or income. 
7. Ensure transparency, consent, and accountability standards related to the use of artificial intelligence and synthetic media that materially affect creators' identities, reputations, or livelihoods.

"The digital economy is a rapidly growing industry that supports over 200 million creators globally. We need laws to protect Americans who earn their livelihoods on these platforms and ensure they are able to secure basic rights. I'm proud to introduce a resolution that will help increase creators' access to healthcare and workplace protections," said Rep. Ro Khanna. 

"Creators are a growing workforce building the culture and economy we all rely on, yet we're doing it without basic protections or frameworks of support," said Shira Lazar, Founder and CEO of What's Trending and Creators 4 Mental Health. "Having spent two decades in the creator economy, I've seen firsthand how this affects livelihoods and well-being. This resolution is an important step toward closing that gap and building a safer, more sustainable industry for the next generation."

"The economy has changed dramatically, but our labor protections haven't kept pace," said Lisandra Vásquez, a creator and digital worker. "Freelance and non-linear careers are now the norm, yet creators are still operating in systems built for W-2 employees. As independent contractors, we generate enormous value for multi-billion-dollar platforms while having little protection when our livelihoods disappear overnight. This is a bipartisan issue, and the Creator Bill of Rights is a critical step toward recognizing digital workers as contributors who deserve fairness, transparency, and real recourse."

Read the Creator Bill of Rights HERE.