Opening Event of the final Conference of the Research Group “Politics of Digitalization”
Panel discussants:
Prof. Dr. Robin Mansell (Professor emerita, London School of Economics),
Prof. Dr. Thorsten Thiel (Universität Erfurt) and
Prof. Dr. Jamal Shahin (Brussels School of Governance / University of Amsterdam / United Nations University-CRIS)
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Jeanette Hofmann
In the last decade, digitalisation research has had to come to terms with many intellectual U-turns. This concerns, not least, the relationship between digitalisation and democracy. Whereas the Internet was once regarded as a resource for self‑determination, the power of a handful of tech monopolies is now seen as the greatest threat to democracy’s promise of freedom. As a consequence, the digital space is increasingly subject to regulation and control, often with the promise of protecting democratic rights and freedoms. Were our hopes at the time too high? Did we overlook important turning points and critical junctures? What lessons should we draw from these observations for our research, but also for our expectations about the development of democracy and its capacity for self‑repair?
WZB, Reichpietschufer 50, 10785 Berlin, Room A 300
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