Johanne Kübler: Après nous, le déluge—A Quest for Platform Accountability

Title:

Après nous, le déluge: A Quest for Platform Accountability

Abstract:
Large online platform’s influence and ubiquity are increasingly questioned. Recently Whistleblower Frances Haugen told the US Congress how Facebook harms children, sows division and undermines democracy in pursuit of growth and profit. Independent research has backed up these claims, for example, when a study I co-authored found that there were significant amounts of problematic election-related content both on Facebook and Twitter during the run-up to the German federal elections. So what can be done about it? In my talk I will briefly discuss evidence of harm done by social media to then examine possible solutions. How does the proposed Digital Services Act at EU-level increase accountability of large online platforms? How could it be improved?

About Johanne Kübler:
Johanne Kübler is a researcher with expertise on digital politics, online activism, technology policy and human rights. Her current projects concentrate on content governance and accountability of social media platforms. She holds a PhD in Political and Social Sciences from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy and a Master degree in Comparative Politics from Sciences Po Paris. Her previous work experience includes positions in academia, academic consultancy and in the non-governmental sector with a focus on human rights.

Sustainable Comupting Lecture Series

Chairs:
Soheil Human, Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien)
Arianna Rossi, SnT, University of Luxembourg
Cristiana Teixeira Santos, Utrecht University
Martin Degeling, Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB)