How can platform councils ensure that public interests and democratic values are taken into account when setting and implementing private platform rules? The new co-operation project “Platform://Democracy”, comissioned by the Stiftung Mercator, untertakes an inquiry into the meaning and limits of democracy online. The project is carried out by the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI) with support from the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (Berlin) and the Department of Theory and Future of Law of the University of Innsbruck (Austria).

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The transformation of democracy through digital public spheres is the topic of a virtual conference on June 17 and 18, 2021. The “Weizenbaum Conference” is being organized by the research area “Democracy – Participation – Public Sphere” of the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society and Freie Universität Berlin under the direction of Professors Barbara Pfetsch, Jeanette Hofmann and Professor Martin Emmer of the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies. Under the title “Democracy in Flux – Order, Dynamics and Voices in Digital Public Spheres,” speakers from several countries will discuss digital technologies and their effects on democratic orders, political actors, and social practices on virtual panels. Interested parties can follow the presentations and discussions via livestream. Registration is required and participation is free of charge.

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Political parties and free media are essential for the proper functioning of representative democracies. For some time now, however, these institutions have been subject to major structural change. As part of the series Making Sense of the Digital Society, Jan-Werner Müller discusses what the changes in this critical infrastructure mean for the effective exercise of fundamental rights as well as for the relationship between citizens and the political system. We invite all interested parties to participate in the online event On Wednesday, 9 March, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., via livestream on hiig.de

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Slovaks have access to a plethora of news platforms, but many of them are in the hands of powerful financial corporations, closely linked with political groups. Nevertheless, swelling demand for accurate, quality information boosts the country’s independent journalism, according to a new report by the Center for Media, Data and Society.

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