Legal Uncertainty in the Gig Economy: A Sociological Perspective on theVulnerability of Illustrator Ijulosaurus

Abstract

The phenomenon of the gig economy has transformed the landscape of work by introducing a project-based model that is flexible, fast, and result-oriented. For some workers, including digital illustrators such as Ijulosaurus, this model provides opportunities for independence while simultaneously creating legal vulnerabilities. Uncertainty regarding employment status, weak protection of rights, and the imbalance of bargaining power between workers and platform-based employers indicate that the existing legal system has not been able to adapt to socio-economic changes in the digital era. This study seeks to analyze the legal vulnerabilities of creative workers in the gig economy through a socio-legal perspective. The theoretical framework employed is Karl Renner’s theory of the functional change of law. Renner argues that while the text of the law may appear static, its actual function shifts in response to evolving social structures. In the context of the gig economy, labor law originally designed to regulate formal employer–employee relationships lose its functionality when confronted with flexible, digital forms of work. Consequently, freelance workers such as Ijulosaurus often occupy a legal “grey area,” where their rights are insufficiently protected. This study adopts a qualitative approach using a case study method, drawing on literature analysis, interviews, and digital documentation. The findings reveal that legal uncertainty in the gig economy manifests in three dimensions: normative (regulations that remain maladaptive), structural (the absence of institutions guaranteeing the rights of digital workers), and relational (power imbalances between creative workers and employers). From Karl Renner’s perspective, this condition demonstrates a delayed adaptation of law to social dynamics, resulting in the erosion of its role as a protective instrument. Therefore, this research underscores the urgency of reorienting legal frameworks toward more responsive regulations to ensure justice for creative workers in the digital era.