Bill · S. 2488· Senate(119-S-2488)
Empowering App-Based Workers Act
- Introduced
- 7/28/2025
- Last activity
- 7/28/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Brian Schatz
- Cosponsors
- - 3 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Empowering App-Based Workers Act aims to increase transparency and accountability for workers using digital labor platforms. It requires these platforms to provide detailed disclosures regarding electronic monitoring and automated decision-making systems. The bill establishes a 25 percent cap on take rates for on-demand transportation services to ensure fairer pay. It also prohibits discriminatory algorithmic wage setting and protects workers from retaliation for exercising their rights. Additionally, the Act provides for enforcement through the Secretary of Labor and a private right of action for workers and consumers.
Yes· 3 of 17
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?+8
The bill significantly enhances privacy by limiting what data can be collected and how it can be used by digital platforms.
Does this give people more control over their personal data?+7
The bill imposes strict limits on the collection, storage, and use of worker data and prohibits inferring sensitive information.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+6
The bill protects workers from poverty wages and unfair pay practices common in digital labor platforms.
The opposite
Would business owners be better off under this?-4
The bill imposes new compliance, recordkeeping, and reporting obligations on digital labor platform providers.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Pay Transparency: Platforms must provide workers with itemized receipts for each assignment and weekly pay statements that detail total pay, tips, and the average take rate (Section 4(a)(4) and 4(a)(5)).
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Protection Against Unfair Wage Practices: The bill prohibits platforms from offering different compensation for substantially similar tasks unless based on specific cost differentials or collective bargaining agreements (Section 5(c)(1)).
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Fairer Compensation in Transportation: A 25 percent cap is placed on the "take rate" for on-demand transportation services to limit exploitative practices (Section s 5(a)(1)).
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Data Privacy Protections: Platforms are prohibited from using worker data to infer sensitive information such as immigration status, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation (Section 5(d)(1)).
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Whistleblower Protections: The Act prohibits companies from retaliating against workers who report violations or participate in inquiries (Section 8(a)).
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Access to Information: Workers have the right to request and receive their retained data from the platform provider (Section 6(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Data Usage: Platforms are prohibited from collecting any worker data outside of the time the worker is actually performing work (Section 5(d)(2)).
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Limitations on Algorithmic Decision-Making: The bill restricts the use of individualized data in automated systems for compensation decisions unless specific criteria are met (Section 5(c)(2)).
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Increased Compliance Burdens: Companies must adhere to strict requirements for providing notices, maintaining records for four years, and submitting quarterly reports to the Secretary (Section 4(a) and 6(a)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+6Good For Immigrants+5Good For L G B T Q Community+5Good For Union Workers+5Good For African Americans+4Good For People With Disabilities+4Good For Women+4Good For Hispanic Americans+3Good For Business Owners-4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+5Increases Minimum Wage+5Improves Union Protections+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Privacy Rights+8Improves Government Transparency+6
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Gender Equality+4Improves Racial Equity+4Improves Disability Rights+3
- Education And Technology
- Improves Data Privacy+7
- 2/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/4/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/28/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont