Governing the Digital Society

José van Dijck is Distinguished University Professor of Media and Digital Society at Utrecht University since 2017. In 2021, she received the Spinoza Prize, which has made this edited volume possible. Karin van Es is Associate Professor of Media and Culture Studies and project lead Humanities at Data School, both at Utrecht University. Anne Helmond is Associate Professor of Media, Data and Society at Utrecht University. She is co-director of the focus area Governing the Digital Society. Fernando van der Vlist is Assistant Professor and program coordinator for the Master’s Cultural Data at the University of Amsterdam.

"In an age where platforms and AI are compromising the missions of our public sectors, the influence of tech tycoons has pervaded the political sphere and the world is aflood with digitally generated and sustained misinformation, how can – and should – digital societies be governed? This is the question this accessible, multi-disciplinary and comprehensive volume seeks to answer. It will be valuable to anyone, in academia and beyond, concerned with safeguarding our public values in the current tide of digitalization as a non-democratic and profit-seeking force." -- Tamar Sharon, Professor of Philosophy, Digitalization & Society, Radboud University Nijmegen "This timely edited volume poses the urgent question of how digital societies can be effectively governed in an era where digital platforms and AI systems have become core socio-technical infrastructures. Grounded in robust theoretical frameworks, this book delivers rigorous, interdisciplinary research substantiated by empirical studies." -- Jo Pierson, Professor of Responsible Digitalisation & Head of School of Social Sciences, University Hasselt "What is the meaning of “good governance” in democratic digital societies? How can these spheres foster safety, inclusion, and transparency? Drawing on diverse case studies, this excellent volume demonstrates that there are no simple answers; advancing one value often compromises another. Offering a rich account of the intersections between stakeholders and the technologies they build, manage, and consume, Governing the Digital Society is an essential resource for scholars and practitioners working to shape better digital futures." -- Limor Shifman, Professor at the Department of Communication and Journalism, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel & the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences "Governing the Digital Society examines whether digital societies can still be effectively governed. This volume brings together scholars exploring emerging issues—such as decentralized platforms and AI regulation – with those offering new analytical perspectives on existing debates, including content moderation and spyware. Through research and expert interviews, it offers critical insights into the future of digital governance. -- Robyn Caplan, Assistant Professor of Technology Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University

• List of Figures, List of Tables, About the Authors, Acknowledgements, Introduction: Governing the Digital Society, Section 1: Governing Platforms, Decentralized Online Social Networks: Technological and Organizational Choices and Their Public Value Trade-offs, Section 2: Governing Artificial Intelligence, Governing the Global Proliferation of Digital Surveillance Technologies: Lessons from the EU, Section 3: Governing Public Values, The Techno-Politics of Conversational AI's Moral Agency: Examining ChatGPT and ErnieBot as Examples, Concluding comments: An assessment of governing the digital society, Index