Section: New Results

Intermediation platforms

Our study of the geopolitics of intermediation aims at grasping the balance of power between platforms, as well as between states - in their relation to platforms - and between platforms and states. We have extended our studies with insights from law in [1] and economics in [2]. We have tuned the metrics we already had in order to better grasp the economic weight of intermediation economy. As we did so, we improved our understanding of the social weight of intermediation platforms and the legal issues which they raise.

Our focus has turned to the analysis of public and private policies and their relation to the development of intermediation platforms. In [3], we study a set of cases ranging from the Safe Harbour to the right to be forgotten. Using the "coalition framework" as our analysis framework, we identify the actors influencing policy-making and potential reasons for the success of failure of policies. Such failures include forbidding innovation or preventing public bodies from stepping up their digital capabilities.

Our work has been intrinsically interdisciplinary, the main result of our work is a global modal of intermediation platforms and their economy, presented in [6]. This model helps to understand the current issues raised by the ubderization for instance.