The European Way of Digital: The Role of the State in Protecting Open Societies Online

Europeans share the worries of people in many parts of the world about how digital technologies are changing their politics, economies, and societies. But they also have specific expectations regarding the role of the state and other institutions in protecting them from the most negative effects of the digital transformation.

A panel of experts will explore ideas in a new report by Counterpoint and the Open Society European Policy Institute, The European Way of Digital, edited by Catherine Fieschi and Heather Grabbe. In this report, experts outline their views of how Europe can do better—and position itself as a model third way for the regulation of the digital public sphere in open societies. 

What does good digital governance look like in a European context? Do we treat digital goods as public goods? Beyond ease and convenience, how do we regulate digital goods to meet unmet needs? More broadly, how do we move from a situation in which, by treating tech and digital as a uniquely private sector phenomenon, the market has become a platform for democracy to one in which democracy is a platform for the market?