Research articles on GOVERNANCE

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.

This article compares the Stop Hate for Profit campaign and the Global Alliance for Responsible Media to evaluate efforts that leverage advertisers’ financial power to challenge platform content moderation.

Safer spaces by design? Federated socio-technical architectures in content moderation

Ksenia Ermoshina, National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
Francesca Musiani, National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
PUBLISHED ON: 31 Mar 2025 DOI: 10.14763/2025.1.1827

This article analyses the role that informational architectures and infrastructures in federated social media platforms play in content moderation processes.

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.