The Evolution of Digital Platforms: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives
The workshop "The Evolution of Digital Platforms: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives" took place on May 5 and 6, 2025 organized by the Chair of Digital Governance in collaboration with the Knight-Georgetown Institute. The goal of the Workshop was to explore gaps in our understanding of social media platforms, focusing on recent policy changes and propose new research directions.
The discussions in the workshop centered around how the online environment is undergoing a shift, marked by an exodus of users from traditionally dominant platforms and the rise of alternatives such as Mastodon and Truth Social, followed more recently by Bluesky. Users seem to be preferring to move to platforms which better match their values, speech, and content moderation preferences. It is pertinent to map and analyze these trends, along with understanding what this means for participation and action within the Social Media environment.
Online Content Moderation and Free Speech
The workshop "Content Moderation and Free Speech in Social Media" took place on October 18 and 19 2023, covering both theoretical and empirical perspectives. One focus was placed on understanding user and stakeholder perspectives on what constitutes content deserving moderation. Discussions extended to potential solutions for promoting a healthier online discourse, incorporating insights from research and real experiences of industry practitioners. The agenda (available here) included sessions on topics such as TikTok moderation controversies in South and Southeast Asia, ideological biases in YouTube content moderation in the United States, platform regulation policies, citizen preferences for regulating online hate speech, a CERN-like initiative to explore the information environment, and a discussion on the future of "free" expression in academia. The workshop concluded with a panel discussion featuring Benjamin Brake, Friedrich Enders, Andreas Franck, and Ruth Appel.
