Reading this post it occurred to me that if huge levels of remote work become the norm, there may be consequences for what 'rights' remote workers may obtain at the 'host' richer countries. I mean, somewhat like large companies effectively influenced the mechanisms for immigration, right?
The same may happen wrt. access to financial services (e.g. Facebook employees around the world may eventually be indistinguishable from US citizens for the purpose of opening bank accounts or owning property in the US, etc.), for example. Maybe a particularly bad example because taxation is very complicated and this messes with that too directly
Perhaps a better example would relate to access to State-sponsored programs like healthcare. Imagine future in which Amazon, Facebook, Google lobby for allowing a knowledge worker to travel from their country of residence to their country of work to utilize a governmental program that was previously reserved to citizens only. (Add a bit about actual citizens losing that right if they are 'unproductive' and you got yourself a setting for a sci-fi story)
It's late and maybe I'm not making much sense, I don't know. I'm aware there are a million possible reasons why this should not come to pass but at least on law & regulation I think that if the incentives of the companies align with 'extending rights of remote workers towards citizenship-like rights', then law and legislation will be changed via lobbying, etc. without much ordinary citizens can do about it
I offer no judgment of value - simply pointing out something that we may see happen over the next years or decade
Ever since i read Snowcrash I've thought about this. What if major corps developed transnational power: get hired in India, get benefits that include expedited visa processing, global health insurance coverage, company schools or online curricula for children of employees. I mean this exists for senior execs, how would it look when extended to the FAANG rank and file?
Sort of a mobility-focused benefits package. Unlikely, incredibly unfeasible but interesting to ponder.
I was somehow unfamiliar with Snow Crash. Thanks for the pointer!
Also - yes, precisely! The internet abounds with posts about how Apple's market cap is larger than most countries GDP already. If the trend of tech-giants growth keeps pace, we may have multi-trillion dollar companies whose revenue will rival nations' GDPs.
At that point, the 'guild' of workers around the world will may have enough political power to be backed by the company, which will have enough leverage to influence law everywhere.
The same may happen wrt. access to financial services (e.g. Facebook employees around the world may eventually be indistinguishable from US citizens for the purpose of opening bank accounts or owning property in the US, etc.), for example. Maybe a particularly bad example because taxation is very complicated and this messes with that too directly
Perhaps a better example would relate to access to State-sponsored programs like healthcare. Imagine future in which Amazon, Facebook, Google lobby for allowing a knowledge worker to travel from their country of residence to their country of work to utilize a governmental program that was previously reserved to citizens only. (Add a bit about actual citizens losing that right if they are 'unproductive' and you got yourself a setting for a sci-fi story)
It's late and maybe I'm not making much sense, I don't know. I'm aware there are a million possible reasons why this should not come to pass but at least on law & regulation I think that if the incentives of the companies align with 'extending rights of remote workers towards citizenship-like rights', then law and legislation will be changed via lobbying, etc. without much ordinary citizens can do about it
I offer no judgment of value - simply pointing out something that we may see happen over the next years or decade