ZeMKI Lab Platform Governance, Media and Technology The Lab “Platform Governance, Media and Technology” examines the interactions between regulation, discourses and the development of technologies and business models. Digital platforms and new infrastructures, algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) and data are currently fundamentally (re)organising communication, the public sphere and society. At the same time, these media, their technologies and economic structures are themselves (still) in a process of formation that is shaped by governance, regulation and public debate. How should platforms like Facebook and YouTube deal with disinformation campaigns and hate speech? What challenges does the increasing use of automation and AI bring? And how do public debates and perceptions of problems in turn impact back on regulation and technology development? We explore these questions with a focus on three areas of work: (1) Platform Governance and Economics; (2) Institutionalisation of AI – Regulation, Discourses, Technology; (3) Automation Regulation and Communication. In several large international third-party funded projects on these topics, funded by the DFG, the EU’s H2020 framework programme, the BMBF, the Volkswagen Foundation and the Federal Agency for Civic Education (BpB), we collaborate with partners in France, UK, Canada, Switzerland, and Italy. In empirical studies, the Lab integrates computational methods and qualitative approaches. We attach great importance to the development of open data infrastructures (Platform Governance Archive), especially in the notoriously non-transparent research field of platform governance. previous 1234…12 next News The final program of the AoIR Flashpoint Symposium 2025 in Bremen On June 3 and 4, leading international scholars will discuss key issues of technology and power at the conference “From Platform Governance to Generative AI” in Bremen. The final program is now released. 16. May 2025 News Christian Katzenbach at the press conference on "Regulierung sozialer Medien und Tech-Giganten" In recent weeks, proceedings and high fines against tech companies have caused a stir. In a press briefing, Professor Dr Christian Katzenbach sheds light on whether this points to stricter regulation. 12. May 2025 News Rebecca Scharlach elected to the Executive Committee of the AoIR ZeMKI member Dr. Rebecca Scharlach was recently elected to the Executive Committee (Open Seat) of the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) for the 2025-2027 term. 6. May 2025 News Earth Day with ZeMKI: Six Research Projects on Communication and Climate On April 22, Earth Day unites the world to raise awareness for the protection of our planet. At ZeMKI, researchers are investigating the crucial role that media and communication play in shaping how we understand and engage with climate change. 21. April 2025 News Vasilisa Kuznetsova presenting at Spring School "Media Climate Justice" in Bochum PGMT Lab member Vasilisa Kuznetsova will be presenting at the upcoming Spring School "Media Climate Justice: Research, Skillsharing, Hacking", taking place in Bochum from 11 to 13 April. 11. April 2025 News Session 18 of "Behind the Scenes" Online Talk Series with Simran Agarwal In the next session of the PGMT-Lab online talk series “Behind the Scenes – Conversations on Empirical Platform Governance Research”, Simran Agarwal will talk about “Examining the State-Platform Nexus in the Governance of Online News in India”. 7. April 2025 News New publication by Paloma Viejo Otero and Rebecca Scharlach ZeMKI members Dr. Paloma Viejo Otero and Dr. Rebecca Scharlach published their new paper “‘We do not marshal your feed’: How Alt Tech platforms (re) conceptualise safety” in the Platforms & Society Journal. Find the link to the full article here. 21. March 2025 News ZeMKI Visiting Research Fellows 2025 From over 150 applications, the steering committee of the Center for Media, Communication and Information Research at the University of Bremen selected five researchers who will work together with at least two ZeMKI labs in interdisciplinary research for four weeks each until the end of 2025. 2. March 2025 previous 1234…12 next
News The final program of the AoIR Flashpoint Symposium 2025 in Bremen On June 3 and 4, leading international scholars will discuss key issues of technology and power at the conference “From Platform Governance to Generative AI” in Bremen. The final program is now released. 16. May 2025
News Christian Katzenbach at the press conference on "Regulierung sozialer Medien und Tech-Giganten" In recent weeks, proceedings and high fines against tech companies have caused a stir. In a press briefing, Professor Dr Christian Katzenbach sheds light on whether this points to stricter regulation. 12. May 2025
News Rebecca Scharlach elected to the Executive Committee of the AoIR ZeMKI member Dr. Rebecca Scharlach was recently elected to the Executive Committee (Open Seat) of the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) for the 2025-2027 term. 6. May 2025
News Earth Day with ZeMKI: Six Research Projects on Communication and Climate On April 22, Earth Day unites the world to raise awareness for the protection of our planet. At ZeMKI, researchers are investigating the crucial role that media and communication play in shaping how we understand and engage with climate change. 21. April 2025
News Vasilisa Kuznetsova presenting at Spring School "Media Climate Justice" in Bochum PGMT Lab member Vasilisa Kuznetsova will be presenting at the upcoming Spring School "Media Climate Justice: Research, Skillsharing, Hacking", taking place in Bochum from 11 to 13 April. 11. April 2025
News Session 18 of "Behind the Scenes" Online Talk Series with Simran Agarwal In the next session of the PGMT-Lab online talk series “Behind the Scenes – Conversations on Empirical Platform Governance Research”, Simran Agarwal will talk about “Examining the State-Platform Nexus in the Governance of Online News in India”. 7. April 2025
News New publication by Paloma Viejo Otero and Rebecca Scharlach ZeMKI members Dr. Paloma Viejo Otero and Dr. Rebecca Scharlach published their new paper “‘We do not marshal your feed’: How Alt Tech platforms (re) conceptualise safety” in the Platforms & Society Journal. Find the link to the full article here. 21. March 2025
News ZeMKI Visiting Research Fellows 2025 From over 150 applications, the steering committee of the Center for Media, Communication and Information Research at the University of Bremen selected five researchers who will work together with at least two ZeMKI labs in interdisciplinary research for four weeks each until the end of 2025. 2. March 2025