The Platform Question: Power, Accountability and Global South The Platform Question: Power, Accountability and Global South transformation. She holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Journalism from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. Carina Singh, Khush Vachharajani and Rakshita Swamy: The authors are members of the Social Accountability Forum for Action and Research (SAFAR) and are associated with the right to information and right to work campaigns. Htaike Aung: Htaike Htaike Aung is the Executive Director of Myanmar ICT for Development Organization (MIDO), one of Myanmar’s leading ICT-focused NGOs. She has been active in promoting Internet access and digital rights since its public introduction in Myanmar. A co-founder of the Myanmar Blogger Society, she also trains human rights defenders in digital security. Currently, she leads the “Towards an Inclusive Information Society in Myanmar” project to expand ICT adoption nationwide. Shaik Salauddin: Founder President, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) and Co-founder and National General Secretary, Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT). Arpita Kanjilal: Arpita Kanjilal leads the Research & Communications Division at the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), where her work concerns digital rights, equity and sustainable development. With a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, she leads several initiatives such as the Just AI Initiative and Digital Swaraj Fellowship, while contributing to platforms like the Digital Just Transition Taskforce and Women for Ethical AI. Shohini Banerjee: Shohini has spent the last decade working on addressing online and offline gender-based violence through prevention and response programming. She is currently a Knowledge Specialist at Point of View, working to build digital gender justice. Vaishali Soni: Vaishali Soni is a visual storyteller working at the intersections of gender, sexuality, and technology. She uses art and mixed media as a tool for inquiry, learning, and change across campaigns and creative projects. At Point of View, she works as a Design Specialist and manages the visual universe of the organisation. 12 Know the Authors Juliet Nanfuka: A digital rights advocate and researcher with a background in journalism and communication. She has over a decade of experience in technology policy advocacy, and has designed and delivered an assortment of campaigns, research outputs, and multi-stakeholder dialogues that influence policy and public discourse. Her work has been published and cited in regional and international media, policy papers, and academic research. Akanksha Ahluwalia: Akanksha Ahluwalia leads the Social Inclusion, Media & Information Literacy (MIL), and communication-driven programmes at the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), India. With a background in English Literature and a focus on gender, misinformation, and new media, she brings a nuanced lens to the evolving challenges of digital communication in underserved regions. Her core work revolves around the design and implementation of strategic communication interventions that not only promote digital literacy but also combat the growing threats of misinformation, disinformation, and algorithmic bias, especially in rural and semi-urban India. Raina Ghosh: Raina Ghosh is a human geographer by training and holds a PhD in Geography from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She currently works with the Digital Empowerment Foundation’s Research and Communications Division in New Delhi on digital exclusion, platform accountability, and gendered access to technology. Osama Manzar: Osama Manzar works at the intersection of Access to Rights and Rights to Access. A Senior Ashoka Fellow and British Chevening Scholar, he is the founder of the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), established in 2002. Under his leadership, DEF has digitally empowered over 35 million people through a network of 2000+ Communication Information Resource Centres across India. Osama has been a key architect of India’s inclusive digital ecosystem, influencing national initiatives such as the Digital Literacy Mission, Common Service Centres, the ban on Free Basics, and the liberalization of ISP licensing through PMWANI. He has also led pioneering grassroots efforts to counter misinformation, including the creation of a cadre of rural women fact-checkers, frontline digital defenders combating misinformation in underserved communities. A regular columnist for Mint, he has co-authored over 20 publications, including Internet Economy of India and NetChakra. Know the Authors 13