freelancer.com

{{Infobox website

| name = Freelancer International Pty Limited

| logo = FL LOGO-REDUCTION.png

| company_type = Public company

| traded_as = {{ASX|FLN}}

| foundation = {{Start date and age|2009}}

| location = Freelancer
Level 20
680 George Street
Sydney, Australia

| area_served = Worldwide

| founder = Matt Barrie

| CEO = Matt Barrie

| key_people = Matt Barrie, CEO
Neil Katz, CFO
Peter Phillips, VP Eng
Chris Koch, Deputy CFO

| industry = Online Outsourcing

| num_employees = 470 (March 2016)

| url = {{URL|https://www.freelancer.com}}

| website_type = Freelance marketplace

| registration = Required

| num_users = 59,961,774 (June 22, 2022)

| language = English, German, French, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Filipino, Dutch

| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2009}}

| current_status = Active

}}

Freelancer is an Australian freelance marketplace website, which allows potential employers to post jobs that freelancers can then bid to complete. Founded in 2009, its headquarters is located in Sydney, Australia, though it also has offices in Vancouver, London, Buenos Aires, Manila, and Jakarta.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freelancer.com/about| title=About Freelancer: Company Overview & History {{!}} Freelancer |website=Freelancer.com}}

Description

Freelancer is a marketplace where employers and freelancers are able to find each other. The site allows employers to post work for site members who place bids in a competitive tender process. The site also allows members to host and enter contests for which prize money is offered as a reward. Freelancers and employers develop profiles on the site as they offer, win, complete work, and write and receive reviews from people they work with or for. The site's members receive a finite number of bids to use on the site, which are periodically replenished. A series of account options are offered, ranging from free accounts to professional subscriptions.

Freelancer takes a 10% fee, which can be reduced with paid monthly membership, with a minimum fee of $5.{{cite web|url=https://www.freelancer.com/membership/index.php|title=Freelancer Membership Plans, Earn And Save More! - Freelancer|work=Freelancer}}

Most of Freelancer's users come from India, the United States, the Philippines, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, but it is represented through its user network in 247 countries, regions and territories; and in both emerging and developed markets. The top three job categories that most frequently get job requests are IT and software (34%); design, media and architecture (31%); and writing and content (13%). The company has offices in Manila, Philippines; Sydney, Australia; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Buenos Aires, Argentina; London, United Kingdom; and Jakarta, Indonesia.{{cite web |url=http://newsbytes.ph/2016/07/27/freelancer-com-hits-20-million-users-pinoys-among-top-job-takers/ |title=Freelancer.com hits 20 million users; Pinoys among top job takers - Newsbytes Philippines |publisher=Newsbytes.ph |date=2016-07-27 |access-date=2017-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903135346/http://newsbytes.ph/2016/07/27/freelancer-com-hits-20-million-users-pinoys-among-top-job-takers/ |archive-date=2017-09-03 |url-status=dead }}

Background

Freelancer has acquired several crowdsourcing marketplaces including Get A Freelancer.com and EUFreelance.com (founded by Magnus Tibell in 2004, Sweden),{{cite web|url=http://www.innovateit.com/news.html |title=News |publisher=Innovate it |access-date=2012-02-27}} Scriptlance.com (founded by Rene Trescases in 2001, Canada){{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/07/09/outsourcing-consolidation-freelancer-com-buys-scriptlance-now-numbers-4m-users/|title=IT Outsourcing Consolidation: Freelancer.com Buys Scriptlance, Now Numbers 4M Users|access-date=Oct 16, 2020}}- one of the early pioneers in freelancing, Freelancer.de Booking Center (Germany), Freelancer.co.uk (United Kingdom),{{cite web|url=http://www.theglobalrecruiter.com/news/global-acquisitions-continue-for-leading-job-market-website/4096|title=Freelancer Grows: Global Acquisitions Continue for Leading Job Market Website|access-date=2013-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318174233/http://www.theglobalrecruiter.com/news/global-acquisitions-continue-for-leading-job-market-website/4096|archive-date=2017-03-18|url-status=dead}} Webmaster-talk.com (USA), a forum for webmasters,{{Cite web|url=https://gorumors.com/freelancer-com-acquires-webmaster-talk-forums/2757978|title=Freelancer.com Acquires Webmaster Talk Forums – GoRumors|access-date=Oct 16, 2020}} and vWorker (founded by Ian Ippolito, USA).{{cite news | url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/19/freelancer-com-buys-another-it-job-site-vworker-aka-rentacoder-com-for-a-price-in-the-millions/ | title=Freelancer Buys Another IT Job Site, vWorker (aka RentACoder.com), For A Price In The Millions | work=TechCrunch | date=November 19, 2012 | access-date=November 21, 2012 | author=Lunden, Ingrid}}

As of 29 March 2016, the company has set up 44 regional marketplaces and operates in 34 languages and 21 currencies, including [http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/apps-and-websites/freelancer-com-launches-outsourcing-platform-in-the-philippines.html Freelancer.com launches outsourcing platform in the Philippines] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503213028/http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/apps-and-websites/freelancer-com-launches-outsourcing-platform-in-the-philippines.html |date=2016-05-03 }}, Gadgets Magazine India{{cite news| url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-02-09/news/31042112_1_indian-users-job-seekers-indian-currency%5D, | work=The Times Of India | title=Website for freelance assignments launched in India | date=2012-02-09}}{{dead link|date=October 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{Cite web |url=http://e27.sg/2012/04/06/freelancer-com-unveils-regional-websites-and-looks-to-double-users-by-end-2012/ |title=E27.sg |access-date=2012-04-26 |archive-date=2013-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203021000/http://e27.sg/2012/04/06/freelancer-com-unveils-regional-websites-and-looks-to-double-users-by-end-2012/ |url-status=dead }} and Latin America.[http://www.bnamericas.com/news/technology/freelancercom-looks-to-hit-01mn-user-mark-in-several-latam-countries-in-2013 Freelancer.com looks to hit 0.1mn user mark in several LatAm countries in 2013], BNAmericas. On 2 April 2014, Freelancer acquired Ukraine-based digital content marketplace Fantero.{{cite news| url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/latest/freelancer-acquires-fanterocom/story-e6frg90f-1226873268074 | work=TheAustralian | title= Freelancer acquires Fantero.com | date=2014-04-03}}

In April 2014, Freelancer acquired The Warrior Forum, a marketing community site, for $3.2M{{Cite web |last=Lomas |first=Natasha |date=2014-04-15 |title=Freelancer.com Pays $3.2M To Buy Digital Marketing Marketplace, Warrior Forum |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/04/15/freelancer-buys-warrior-forum/ |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}

In April 2015, Freelancer acquired Escrow.com, a provider of Internet escrow services based in the United States.{{cite news| url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/26/freelancer-acquires-escrow/ | work=TechCrunch | title=Freelancer acquires Escrow | date=2015-04-26}}

In December 2016, the company acquired Brazilian job market service Prolancer as well as the Spanish career marketplace Nubelo.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2016-12-13|title=Freelancer.com Acquires Leading Spanish, Portuguese Freelancing Sites|url=https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/12/freelancer-acquires-latin-american-competitors.html|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Small Business Trends|language=en-us}}

Freelancer has taken steps to enter the freight marketplace business through their subsidiary Frieghtlancer.com. In 2018, Freelancer acquired the Australian enterprise marketplace Channel 40, which connects freight owners with transport operators. In May 2021, the company acquired Loadshift, a business that connects shippers and carriers in heavy transport services.{{Cite web|last=Ogg|first=Matt|date=May 24, 2021|title=Freelancer.com acquires heavy freight marketplace Loadshift|url=https://www.businessnewsaustralia.com/articles/freelancer-com-acquires-heavy-freight-marketplace-loadshift.html|website=Business News Australia}}

Legal issues

=2015–2017=

In December 2015, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) found Freelancer at fault for breaching the Privacy Act by violating the privacy rights of a former user and awarded that individual $20,000 in aggravated damages when Freelancer employees publicly exposed on Wikipedia and elsewhere the individual's private information, IP addresses, pseudonyms and other details after the individual wrote several critical comments and personal blog posts about the company. OAIC further ordered Freelancer to issue a written apology to the individual and for staff to undergo additional training on the handling of sensitive personally identifiable information. Spokespersons speaking on behalf of the company expressed their intent to appeal the ruling.{{cite web|author1=Sharwood, Simon|title=Freelancer.com fined for 'reckless indifference to privacy rights'|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/11/freelancercom_fined_for_reckless_indifference_to_privacy_rights/|website=theregister.co.uk|publisher=The Register|access-date=13 January 2016|date=11 January 2016}}{{cite web|author1=Redrup, Yolanda|title=Freelancer contests $20,000 privacy breach fine from OAIC|url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/freelancer-contests-20000-privacy-breach-fine-from-oaic-20160112-gm4aw2.html|website=smh.com.au|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=13 January 2016|date=13 January 2016}}{{cite web|title='HW' and Freelancer International Pty Limited [2015] AICmr 86 (18 December 2015)|url=https://www.oaic.gov.au/resources/privacy-law/determinations/2015-aicmr-86.pdf|publisher=Office of the Australian Information Commissioner|access-date=13 January 2016|website=www.oaic.gov.au|date=18 December 2015|archive-date=17 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417202313/https://www.oaic.gov.au/resources/privacy-law/determinations/2015-aicmr-86.pdf|url-status=dead}}

=2018=

In March 2018, it was reported that Freelancer was facing another complaint with the OAIC. Claiming damages of over $60,000 a complainant from the European Union alleges Freelancer's conduct in regard to privacy is in violation of Australian and European privacy legislation alike, a fact that would affect all of Freelancer's European customers, according to the complaint. Freelancer has not commented on the allegation.{{Cite web|url=http://privacy.com.ph/news-article/another-privacy-complaint-filed-against-freelancer-com/|title=Another Privacy Complaint Filed Against Freelancer.com {{!}} Data Privacy Philippines|website=privacy.com.ph|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-23}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.innovationaus.com/2018/03/Freelancer-and-the-privacy-web|title=Freelancer and the privacy web|website=InnovationsAus.com|language=en-au|access-date=2018-03-23|archive-date=2018-03-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324103207/http://www.innovationaus.com/2018/03/Freelancer-and-the-privacy-web|url-status=dead}}