Paddy Leerssen on Platform Ownership and the Politics of Online Content Governance
As ownership of major digital platforms grows increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small number of wealthy individuals, their political and economic interests are playing a more direct role in shaping the governance of online speech.
In this timely webinar, Paddy Leerssen (University of Amsterdam) will discuss his recent article, “From Murdoch to Musk: Platform ownership and the political economy of online content governance,” which explores how concentrated platform ownership influences content moderation decisions at X and Meta, and why prevailing models of platform governance must account for ownership structures themselves. Robyn Caplan (Duke University) will serve as the discussant.
Open to the public, this conversation will consider how individual control over platforms shapes moderation policy and public discourse, and what that means for the future of online governance.
This event is part of the Digital Governance for Democratic Renewal webinar series, hosted by Tech Policy Press, Columbia World Projects, and the Centre for Digital Governance at the Hertie School.
