Digital Governance for Democratic Renewal
The digital harms flowing from Big Tech’s largely unchecked development bear on patterns of civic and social life, and, crucially, on democratic engagement. Online information ecosystems have fueled polarization, while the concentration of major technology companies stifles competition and puts key decisions that shape democracy outside accountable political institutions.
The stakes are high. Recognizing these challenges demand urgent attention, Columbia World Projects and the Centre for Digital Governance at the Hertie School launched Digital Governance for Democratic Renewal in September 2023. With support from the Knight Foundation, this network of researchers, regulators, policymakers, journalists, technologists, and civil society advocates from both sides of the Atlantic aims to uncover tech policy solutions that address the challenges posed by large digital platforms to democratic institutions and discourse.
What we've done
Despite sharing many goals with respect to digital regulation, the US and EU operate under distinctly different conditions, from their orientation to free speech, civil society, degrees and kinds of regulatory policies, and more. With a view to these differences, the network’s first series of meetings–from September 2023 to May 2024– brought together over 80 experts from to explore how to support the implementation of the Digital Services Act and Digital Market Act, two groundbreaking European regulations, with the expectation that this will shape how platforms operate in and influence US and EU markets and societies. In short, they considered how recent EU regulatory innovations might be adapted in the US context, and, in turn, how related efforts in the US might contribute to positive outcomes in the EU.
Meeting topics ranged from data access and use, including platform-to-researcher frameworks for diagnosing and treating online harms; alternative business models and technical interventions – including “middleware” and data portability mandates – to counter Big Tech’s market concentration; and emerging content moderation practices, dilemmas, and solutions that respect user privacy and expression.
What comes next
Building on insights from these meetings, the next phase of Digital Governance for Democratic Renewal aims to construct a common language for understanding broad dilemmas facing digital regulators and researchers and pinpoint solutions that move toward democratic outcomes on both sides of the Atlantic. Through working group gatherings and conferences, the network will concentrate on how to build capacity by organizing, securing, and sustaining funding for academics, journalists, and civil society organizations engaging in platform research and oversight. It will also launch a speaker series on designing and governing platforms that stabilize and support democracy.
Beginning with a public panel on “Reshaping Social Media for the Public Good” at Columbia on November 25th, we’ll host in-person and virtual discussions to uncover the most transformative proposals for democratizing and safeguarding today’s digital environment, offering a broad range of perspectives on striking a balance between user freedoms and responsible stewardship, ensuring the internet remains a space for healthy and constructive dialogue.
Additional events and publications will be announced in the coming weeks.