Summary:
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A congressional resolution introduced by Ro Khanna aims to protect creators and digital workers in the platform economy.
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The Creator Bill of Rights emphasizes fair treatment, transparency, and economic opportunities for creators and digital workers.
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The resolution highlights the challenges faced by creators, including income instability, limited transparency, and lack of benefits.
A new congressional resolution aimed at improving protections for creators and digital workers was introduced this week by Ro Khanna, as lawmakers and industry leaders respond to growing concerns about income instability, platform transparency, and access to benefits in the creator economy.
The resolution, known as the Creator Bill of Rights, expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that creators and digital workers represent “a distinct and growing class of small businesses and independent economic contributors” who deserve fair treatment, transparency, and economic opportunity in a platform-driven economy.
The creator economy is currently valued at $250 billion globally and is expected to reach $480 billion by 2027, according to figures cited in the press release announcing the resolution.
The sector provides income for 12% of U.S. adults and has become a full-time job for more than 10 million Americans.
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According to the resolution, creators generate “significant economic value for platforms through original content, innovation, and community building,” yet often face limited transparency around compensation, algorithmic changes, and platform policies that directly affect their earnings and reach.
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Platform-based work is frequently characterized by unpredictable income, evolving rules, and sudden algorithm shifts that can materially reduce creators’ visibility or revenue. Many creators are also classified as independent contractors, limiting access to employer-sponsored benefits such as health care, retirement plans, and paid leave. A recent study from Creators 4 Mental Health and Lupiani Insights & Strategies found that 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.
“The digital economy is a rapidly growing industry that supports over 200 million creators globally,” Khanna said in a statement. “We need laws to protect Americans who earn their livelihoods on these platforms and ensure they are able to secure basic rights.”
The resolution outlines seven core principles designed to address the structural challenges creators face across platforms.
Among them is access to affordable, reliable, and portable health care, so coverage is not tied to a single employer or platform. The resolution also supports portable benefit systems and retirement plan options that would allow creators to carry benefits across gigs and platforms. Another major focus is clear, transparent, and predictable revenue-sharing terms between platforms and creators for the content and labor that generate value. The resolution states that platforms rely heavily on creator-generated content to drive advertising and subscription revenue, while revenue-sharing arrangements are often unclear or inconsistent.
The proposal also emphasizes creators’ ability to maintain “decentralized, opt-in, direct relationships with audiences who choose to engage with their work,” allowing creators to move between platforms without losing their audiences, consistent with privacy protections.
The resolution further calls for timely customer support and clear appeal processes when platform actions materially affect creators’ accounts or income, as well as transparency and consent standards related to artificial intelligence and synthetic media that impact creators’ identities, reputations, or livelihoods.
Shira Lazar, founder and CEO of What’s Trending and Creators 4 Mental Health, said the resolution reflects long-standing gaps in protections for creators.
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“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,” Lazar said. “Having spent two decades in the creator economy, I’ve seen firsthand how this affects livelihoods and well-being.”
Creator and digital worker Lisandra Vásquez described the issue as bipartisan and structural.
“As independent contractors, we generate enormous value for multi-billion-dollar platforms while having little protection when our livelihoods disappear overnight,” Vásquez said. “The Creator Bill of Rights is a critical step toward recognizing digital workers as contributors who deserve fairness, transparency, and real recourse.”
