The responsibilities of online platforms, competition and antitrust rules, the fight against illegal content and disinformation online are at the top of the European Union’s agenda. In the much anticipated Digital Services Package, the European Commission proposes new rules that will profoundly reshape the future rulebook of internet platforms on these major issues. Our series of seminars proposes to offer an academic perspective on these developments, to unpack the complex underlying issues of this forthcoming legislative package, and discuss its possible implications. Organised by the new Centre for Digitalisation, Democracy and Innovation at VUB-IES in collaboration with the Chair 'Fundamental Rights and the Digital Transformation' at VUB-LSTS and the Brussels Privacy Hub, this series of seminars brings leading academic speakers, from different horizons, to present their latest research and analysis on content moderation, intermediary liabilities, competition rules and the regulation of internet platforms.
The concentration and privatisation of data infrastructures has a deep impact on independent research. The so-called ‘datafication of everything’ results in unprecedented potential and urgency for independent (academic) inquiry. Yet, researchers are increasingly confronted with unwarranted obstacles in accessing the data required to pursue their role as critical knowledge-institution and public watchdog. An important reason behind this, is the increasing centralisation and privatisation of data infrastructures into the hands of corporations with strong (legal, technical and economic) disincentives to share the vast amounts of data they control with researchers. This has precipitated important power asymmetries over access to data and who effectively defines research agendas.
For more information and registration, see here.