Strengthening the Digital Public Sphere and Platform Regulation

For the first time since their founding, major social networks, video apps and search engines are facing the fact that they are not the only ones setting the rules for how the digital communication spaces of millions of people are shaped. Lawmakers in Germany, Europe and other countries are currently trying to develop rules and auditing procedures for tech companies. Driving this legislative push are possible dangers arising from dominant market positions, data protection violations, opaque business processes, or inadequate handling of disinformation and hate speech. 

However, it is still unclear what such rules might look like and how exactly different risks and approaches can be weighed against each other in the process. Against this backdrop, SNV is analyzing and developing ideas for risk assessments as well as for platform regulation at the German, European and transatlantic levels. We are in exchange with international experts, write policy papers with analyses and recommendations and participate in consultations and civil society formats. 

Please find more information on SNV’s work on platform regulation here. 

Please find more information on SNV’S work on analyzing and evaluating AI-based recommender systems of Internet intermediaries here. 

Finished projects

Archive for the study of digital information & news literacy

Under the lead of Dr. Anna-Katharina Meßmer, SNV developed the world's first tests of information and news literacy, representative for Germany.

This was accompanied in 2021 by the study "Quelle: Internet" and the webapp der-newstest.de

Please find more information on SNV’s work on digital news and information literacy here. 

Archive for the study on disinformation during the 2017 German election

SNV has been working on the topic of strengthening the digital public sphere since 2016. Led by Alexander Sängerlaub (now director at the think tank futur eins), SNV developed the first empirical measurement in Germany of what role “fake news” played in the 2017 Bundestag election campaign. In addition to the study (“Fakten statt Fakes”), papers were also produced on fact-checking as a possible response to disinformation and on the difficult situation for civil society and academia to obtain data to research disinformation. 

Please find all information on the study on disinformation during the 2017 German federal election campaign here. 

Experts

Project Director “Policy | Platform regulation”
+49 (0)30 81 45 03 78 93
  • Strengthening the Digital Public Sphere and Platform Regulation
Project Director "Auditing of Recommendation Systems"
+49 (0)30 40 36 76 982
  • Strengthening the Digital Public Sphere and Platform Regulation
Student Assistant "Strengthening the Digital Public Sphere and Platform Regulation"
+49 (0)30 81 45 03 78 80
  • Strengthening the Digital Public Sphere and Platform Regulation
Technical Expert "Auditing of Recommendation Systems"
  • Strengthening the Digital Public Sphere and Platform Regulation
Student Assistant "Strengthening the Digital Public Sphere and Platform Regulation"
  • Strengthening the Digital Public Sphere and Platform Regulation