In person icon Challenges for Digital Governance

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence and digital platforms have been criticized for contributing to disinformation, hate speech, and invasion of privacy, the rise of populism and the erosion of trust in democratic institutions. The growth of social media was enabled by a laissez-faire approach to regulation in the United States and Europe, which was considered to encourage technological innovation and economic growth. While the United States - home to platforms with the largest global user base - is at the center of this discussion, the conversation has extended towards many other countries. This has led to a growing interest among scholars and policy-makers about the solutions on the table to address the challenges posed by digital transformation. On this panel we define digital governance as a set of formal and informal decision-making processes and power relationships that determine power balances in the realm of digital transformations. We focus on the interaction between technology companies and the state in both, democratic and authoritarian contexts. Papers compare cases of the EU, South and Southeast Asia as well as China. The panel starts with assessing the implementation of digital technology regulations in democratic contexts. On the supranational level Griffin shows that the EU digital governance regime has limits in the implementation of digital companies, especially when it comes to risk management obligations in regulating digital platforms. On the national level Kubaszewska provides a perspective on the implementation of AI technologies in public institutions in Poland and the consequences of the absence of a regulatory system. We then zoom into the authoritarian context, where Baum and Bryson examine the digital market regulation in China as a new example of market control. The panel then shifts the focus to digital platforms as a tool for states to control information and markets. Stevers explores the role of social media influencers as mouth piece of the Chinese government. Garten shows how national payment platforms control digital payment markets in South and Southeast Asia. All five papers advance discussions on digital governance in both democratic and authoritarian contexts in the area of information control and digital markets. Paper 1: Rachel Griffin, “Risky business? Corporate risk management obligations in sustainability due diligence and digital platform regulation”. Paper 2: Anna Kubaszewska, “The Effect of AI on Instituitional Work and Organisational Dynamics: Introduction of AI to the Polish Public Procurement Office (UZP) and the National Appeals Chamber (KIO)”. Paper 3: Leonard Baum and Joanna Bryson, “Policy lessons from China: A quantitative examination of China's new competition regime for the digital economy”. Paper 4: Dion Stevers, “Influencers as Mouthpieces? Exploring the Political Role of Social Media Influencers in China”. Paper 5: Felix Garten, “National Payment Platforms as a New Form of Financial Statecraft”.

Title	Details
Policy lessons from China: A quantitative examination of China's new competition regime for the digital economy	View Paper Details
What Kind of Institutional Work Is Being Done—and by Whom—When Generative AI Is Introduced in Public Administration? A Case Study from Poland Investigating the Intra-Organisational Institutional Change.	View Paper Details
Influencers as Mouthpieces? Exploring the Political Role of Social Media Influencers in China	View Paper Details
National Payment Platforms as a New Form of Financial Statecraft	View Paper Details
Risky business? Corporate risk management obligations in sustainability due diligence and digital platform regulation	View Paper Details