Overview

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. It is free to read at Oxford Academic and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.Leading multinational technology companies like Alphabet, Meta, Twitter, TikTok, and Microsoft now operate sprawling, complex systems to govern online behavior. These technical and bureaucratic infrastructures, commonly termed ""content moderation"" or ""trust and safety,"" were developed in an effort to keep illegal and harmful material--such as child abuse imagery, hate speech, and incitement to extremist violence--out of sight and out of mind. But recently, they have been mired with scandal, and increasingly are in the public crosshairs.In The Politics of Platform Regulation, Robert Gorwa outlines how governments are shaping the emerging space of online safety. Through case studies from Germany, the United States, New Zealand, and Australia, and insights gleaned from ongoing policy debates in Brazil, India, and China, Gorwa explores the domestic and international politics that influence how, why, and when platform regulation comes into being. Going beyond existing work that explores the hidden private rules and practices increasingly shaping our online lives, The Politics of Platform Regulation is a measured empirical and theoretical account of how the state is pushing back.

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9780197692851

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"""Gorwa not only documents the growing effort to regulate social media platforms, he shines a light on how and why states endeavor to pressure or persuade platforms to govern in particular ways. Combining a clear conceptual framework and carefully examined case studies, he reveals the decisions to intervene, the forms those interventions take, and the political will and circumstances necessary to pursue them. It's a sharp and important work."" -- Tarleton Gillespie, Author of Custodians of the Internet ""Robert Gorwa's outstanding book gives us a novel and hugely helpful framework for identifying why and how battles over platform regulation unfold as they do. His cases confirm that political will and power are key salient factors in whether governments intervene to limit big tech power and the consequences for fairness and transparency. This is a must-read for everyone who cares about the future of platformisation."" -- Robin Mansell, Professor Emerita, London School of Economics and Political Science ""Gorwa's book is essential reading to understand the complex and rapidly changing international politics at work as governments struggle for influence over global technology companies. The Politics of Platform Regulation is a sophisticated and compelling account of the messy transnational politics of platform regulation, providing us with a new way of understanding how governments use diverse tools of persuasion, co-regulation, and law to exert power over the technology giants that dominate our information environments. It is a much-needed explanation of how, exactly, regulation gets done in the world where the borderless internet was once thought to be immune to the conflicting demands of territorial governments."" -- Nicolas Suzor, Author of Lawless: The Secret Rules That Govern our Digital Lives ""The Politics of Platform Regulation arrives at a critical juncture in the ongoing discussion on platform regulation and breathes new life into a scholarly landscape saturated with tech discourse. Robert Gorwa presents an urgently needed and innovative approach to studying platform governance from a political science standpoint- the first book of this kind. Supported by rich and meticulous empirical research, the book examines a diverse array of policy episodes across contexts, providing an original framework for understanding variations in the emergence and implementation of platform regulation strategies. This book stands as an indispensable contribution to the evolving discourse on digital governance and is essential reading for anyone keen on navigating the dynamic landscape of platform regulation."" -- Yannis Theocaris, Professor of Digital Governance, Technical University of Munich ""Finally, here is a comprehensive book about platform regulation that explores not just its legal and technical aspects, but also its political dimensions. Robert Gorwa is your sublime guide in a global minefield where platform jurisdictions meet geopolitical contestations. His sharp analytical journey brings you from New Zealand to China, and from Germany to Texas, piecing together a cohesive picture of global platform regulation. A true mind-opener for scholars dying to understand the how, what, and why of platform governance in a digital world."" -- Jos� van Dijck, Author of The Culture of Connectivity and co-author of The Platform Society"

Gorwa not only documents the growing effort to regulate social media platforms, he shines a light on how and why states endeavor to pressure or persuade platforms to govern in particular ways. Combining a clear conceptual framework and carefully examined case studies, he reveals the decisions to intervene, the forms those interventions take, and the political will and circumstances necessary to pursue them. It's a sharp and important work. * Tarleton Gillespie, Author of Custodians of the Internet * Robert Gorwa's outstanding book gives us a novel and hugely helpful framework for identifying why and how battles over platform regulation unfold as they do. His cases confirm that political will and power are key salient factors in whether governments intervene to limit big tech power and the consequences for fairness and transparency. This is a must-read for everyone who cares about the future of platformisation. * Robin Mansell, Professor Emerita, London School of Economics and Political Science * Gorwa's book is essential reading to understand the complex and rapidly changing international politics at work as governments struggle for influence over global technology companies. The Politics of Platform Regulation is a sophisticated and compelling account of the messy transnational politics of platform regulation, providing us with a new way of understanding how governments use diverse tools of persuasion, co-regulation, and law to exert power over the technology giants that dominate our information environments. It is a much-needed explanation of how, exactly, regulation gets done in the world where the borderless internet was once thought to be immune to the conflicting demands of territorial governments. * Nicolas Suzor, Author of Lawless: The Secret Rules That Govern our Digital Lives * The Politics of Platform Regulation arrives at a critical juncture in the ongoing discussion on platform regulation and breathes new life into a scholarly landscape saturated with tech discourse. Robert Gorwa presents an urgently needed and innovative approach to studying platform governance from a political science standpoint- the first book of this kind. Supported by rich and meticulous empirical research, the book examines a diverse array of policy episodes across contexts, providing an original framework for understanding variations in the emergence and implementation of platform regulation strategies. This book stands as an indispensable contribution to the evolving discourse on digital governance and is essential reading for anyone keen on navigating the dynamic landscape of platform regulation. * Yannis Theocaris, Professor of Digital Governance, Technical University of Munich * Finally, here is a comprehensive book about platform regulation that explores not just its legal and technical aspects, but also its political dimensions. Robert Gorwa is your sublime guide in a global minefield where platform jurisdictions meet geopolitical contestations. His sharp analytical journey brings you from New Zealand to China, and from Germany to Texas, piecing together a cohesive picture of global platform regulation. A true mind-opener for scholars dying to understand the how, what, and why of platform governance in a digital world. * José van Dijck, Author of The Culture of Connectivity and co-author of The Platform Society *

Author Information

Robert Gorwa is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center, and a co-founder of the Platform Governance Research Network. He conducts interdisciplinary technology policy research, with a special focus on emerging socio-technical governance infrastructures and institutions in the platform economy. His widely cited work on platform governance, content moderation, and related topics has been published in outlets like Big Data & Society, Telecommunications Policy, and the Annual Review of Law and Social Science.

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