Contemporary history of Europe

Democracy and the digital revolution – steering an evolving paradigm

Knowledge-based societies rely to a large extent on intangible assets and digital technologies, and these are having an increasing impact on information systems, power, governance and citizenship, driven by a proliferation of stakeholders and networks at multiple levels (states, international organisations, private companies, civil society and citizens. There is a clear need for international regulation in this area. This paper takes a multidisciplinary approach, combining an examination of theoretical, conceptual and methodological frameworks with an analysis of relevant public and private archives, with a threefold objective: 1) to outline issues and challenges in terms of human rights, freedom and democracy; 2) to identify the regulatory provisions adopted at European and international level to promote accountability, civic engagement and digital literacy through new forms of (mediated) democracy; and 3) to identify future prospects, risks and uncertainties in the era of artificial intelligence.

Show this publication on our institutional repository (orbi.lu).