Platform governance

How do we communicate online? Who determines the rules for online discourse? The digital transformation of communication processes has given rise to a new form of public discourse, influenced in part by the rules and designs of social media and other digital platforms.

Good platform governance

One of the main challenges in creating a legitimate platform governance model is to strike a balance between promoting open communication and curbing problematic content, such as disinformation, hate speech, or scams. Within our research, we examine how such rules can be established, enforced, and democratically safeguarded. We also consider how algorithms and community guidelines influence the behavior and interactions of users within digital platform ecosystems. How can rules and practices be established to allow users to communicate safely and freely? How can digital platforms remain innovative and market-oriented while also contributing to the well-being of society?

The EU has also introduced (or is on the verge of introducing) a series of new regulations for online platforms, including the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the Data Act (DA), and the AI Act. In interconnected projects, we investigate the impact of these normative platform governance approaches on the online discourse environment. What law prevails in these digital platform ecosystems? Is it the law of the platform operators or that of the EU and national states? And what about outside of Europe?

We are particularly interested in phenomena like online hate speech or the influence of recommendation algorithms and automated communication. The focus is on how the power of digital platforms affects individual and societal decision-making processes and social cohesion.