Research articles on GOVERNANCE

Platform badges for civic communication: An interdisciplinary discussion of a risk mitigation measure pursuant to Art. 35 DSA

Jan Rau, Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC) | Sub-Institute Hamburg
Jan-Ole Harfst, Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut
Tobias Mast, Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut
PUBLISHED ON: 8 Dec 2025 DOI: 10.14763/2025.4.2054

This paper proposes a voluntary user badge that rewards commitment to civic norms in digital platform communication with increased visibility, aiming to enhance discourse quality and restructure attention distribution.

Leveraging interdisciplinary methods for evidence collection in enforcement: Dark patterns as a case study

Johanna Gunawan, Maastricht University
Colin M. Gray, Indiana University
Cristiana Santos, University of Utrecht
Nataliia Bielova, Université Côte d’Azur
PUBLISHED ON: 18 Nov 2025 DOI: 10.14763/2025.4.2047

This article explores how interdisciplinary methods for evidence collection can be envisioned through a case study examining research and regulatory initiatives against dark patterns.

Troubling translation: Sociotechnical research in AI policy and governance

Serena Oduro, Data & Society Research Institute
Alice E. Marwick, Data & Society Research Institute
Charley Johnson, Data & Society Research Institute
Erie Meyer, Georgetown Institute for Technology & Law
PUBLISHED ON: 18 Nov 2025 DOI: 10.14763/2025.4.2043

The common call for researchers to simply “translate” sociotechnical insights into policy overlooks the complex dynamics of policymaking. Using two case studies, the article shows how meaningful relationships, not just translation, are key to embedding sociotechnical research in AI governance.

Trading nuance for scale? Platform observability and content governance under the DSA

Charis Papaevangelou, University of Amsterdam
Fabio Votta, University of Amsterdam
PUBLISHED ON: 17 Sep 2025 DOI: 10.14763/2025.3.2037

This paper explores how the Digital Services Act’s Transparency Database enables platform observability, revealing critical insights into the practices of content moderation across the EU.

This paper examines how governmental decision-making was undertaken in the aftermath of four key cybersecurity crises affecting Estonian e-governance, with the objective of bolstering future cybersecurity.

“You and TikTok are, and will remain at all times, independent contractors”

Taylor Annabell, Utrecht University
Sophie Bishop, University of Leeds
Catalina Goanta, Utrecht University
PUBLISHED ON: 23 Jul 2025 DOI: 10.14763/2025.3.2014

This article explores TikTok's platform governance of monetisation by systematically examining the classification of influencers and monetisation practices in TikTok’s platform documentation.

Despite their active and growing involvement in monitoring the implementation of the “Code of Conduct on countering illegal hate speech online”, civil society organisations have been barred from translating this expanded role into enhanced influence at the policy-making level.