Governance for the Digital World

“This enlightening book provides unique insights into the governance of the digital world, and the impact of that digital world on governance of the economy and society.”

 —B. Guy Peters, Maurice Falk Professor of American Government, Pittsburgh University, USA, and Former President of International Public Policy Association (IPPA)

 “Well-researched, this book is insightful and constructive. Broadly defining institutions as an ecosystem of relationships, readers gain new perspectives on hard problems. A fast, worthwhile read!”

 —Vinton Cerf, Internet pioneer, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google

 “Governance for the Digital World is a highly welcome contribution to the pursuit of good governance in what till some years ago was labeled unchartered territory in the world we are living in. It is high time to get more insight into the dilemmas, intricacies, predicaments, and, last but not least, the considerable opportunities offered by digital technologies and algorithms in particular. It is of the utmost importance that for that matter this book stresses the notion of the digital commons. Irrespective of the role of state and non-state actors, eventually digital technologies pervade the daily existence of all human beings. So good governance is not a matter of choice but sheer necessity. And, as the authors show in their in-depth analysis, good governance reaches beyond the do’s and don’ts of governments. It is also about the functions and interests of private corporations and small- and midsize businesses, non-governmental organizations, offline and online media, and the citizenry at large. I commend the authors for their inclusive approach to digital governance and self-governance. Their book is at the very heart of today’s pivotal debate on good governance in the digital world.”

—Uri Rosenthal, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former Special Envoy for Cyber Diplomacy, and Chairman Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Netherlands 

This book explores new frameworks, institutional arrangements, rules, and policies for governance of the digital world. As digitization rapidly intertwines the many dimensions of society, billions of people have witnessed a quiet and seamless integration of the Internet, software, platforms, algorithms, and digital devices into their daily lives, as well as into many forms of governance and decision making in the public and private sectors. The new technologies require new norms and practices to govern the digital world. This is the challenge addressed by this book: How can society create institutions that govern the digital world in a way that is beneficial to society? This book explores answers—still initial and provocative—to this central question. The reflections presented in this book have a theoretical and conceptual nature borrowed from different fields of science toidentify the main challenges for the governance of the digital world.