More Power to the People: How Platform Councils Can Make Online Communication More Democratic

Social media platforms have become an integral part of public and private opinion-forming. The decisions made by platforms through terms of use and algorithmic moderation practices shape the protection of human rights. This has triggered an important discussion: How can social interest be integrated into these digital spaces? One potential solution to this complex challenge is the concept of platform councils or social media councils (SMCs). But how can they ensure that public interests and democratic values are taken into account in the regulatory processes of platforms? In our research, we asked ourselves precisely this question with 30 researchers from all continents of the world. This blog post provides a brief overview of the topic.