Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DIGIPOL (Digital Observatory of Political Discourse)
Período documentado: 2022-09-01 hasta 2024-08-31
At a time when online discourse is increasingly controlled by private platforms like X, previously Twitter, and Facebook, and when fake news risks affecting elections and public health in Europe and the United States, there is a growing need for more transparency in online discourse. The DIGIPOL project argues that misinformation is one attribute of a larger digital information ecosystem over which we urgently require oversight. The project aims to explore transparency in online discourse. The focus is not on a single information element, such as dis/misinformation, but rather the larger ‘digital information ecosystem’ within which online discourse occurs. In particular, the project aims to assess the central role of platforms in managing and directing this ecosystem. Platforms make user and content moderation decisions with little public oversight, but can also manipulate online spaces through randomized experiments, continuous updates, and nudging users. By building a theoretical framework on platform control, DIGIPOL provides stakeholders—including policymakers, researchers, and the public — with insights to better understand the influence of platforms over online speech and, ultimately, democracy.
The project has focused on the control that platforms exert over online discourse and the implications for democratic governance. DIGIPOL closely tracked developments in platform policies. This includes the suspension of access to APIs, Application Programming Interfaces - the main method through which structured data is accessed from social media platforms - which affects researchers' ability to study social media data. In addition, the project selected the issue of 'migration' as the central political theme of the project due to its relevance to both EU and US political priorities. DIGIPOL analyzed migration discourse, focusing on how narratives differ among key stakeholders, such as civil society organizations (CSOs) and local authorities managing migration at the local level. Additionally, DIGIPOL has adapted to ongoing changes within the platform landscape, such as the rise of generative AI impacts the digital landscape, keeping the project relevant in an evolving technological context. Overall, the project has built the groundwork for a novel framework for conceiving the current stage of digital capitalism.
DIGIPOL has provided cutting-edge insights into how global changes in API access policies influence both researchers and the general public. The project has also shed new light on migration narratives within a multilevel governance framework, revealing significant differences in how various societal actors — such as CSOs, local governments, and policymakers — engage with this politically sensitive issue that has been widely engaged with on social media. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of platform control and its real-time consequences for public discourse and democracy.