That Google, Meta, Amazon, and other online platforms have a significant impact on our everyday lives is perhaps obvious and redundant to point out. Yet with every media report revealing new data breaches, evolving commercial data collection strategies bordering surveillance, as well as election-meddling or fake-news scandals, the public gains novel levels of appreciation for the implications that platform governance has on social life and the public sphere. In this course, we will survey social science research on the implications of platform governance for safety, privacy, civic engagement and people’s well-being. We will examine various aspects of life where platforms play an increasingly important role, devoting special attention to regulation and intermediary liability in specific contexts. Students will gain familiarity with key concepts and theories in the field of media and communication, as well as the ability to apply these in understanding and navigating the digital media environment. A critical outlook on new media developments will provide those majoring in other fields such as political science, sociology, psychology, and other social science fields with enhanced analytic skills necessary for understanding major developments in contemporary society.
(Lecturer: Tijana Milosevic)
