This is where digital platforms and social technologies have the opportunity to evolve and support healthy democracies-by enabling basic enabling aspects of democracy. do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America,вЂќ signifying responsibility of the people and their committal to the unity of the nation. For example, the Constitution of the United States begins with вЂњWe the people. Ownership of the process of governance is just as important in todayвЂ™s democracies. Currently, digital platform models offer participation, but their ownership is still in the hands of shareholders rather than stakeholders. This amounts to establishing collective ownership. In democratic theory and practice, it is also critical to institute political equality among citizens and to ensure that citizens are able to wield meaningful influence and control over the governance of their society. Participation, however, is only part of democracy.

The term вЂњdemocratizingвЂќ has become ubiquitous in recent years, invariably referring to lowering the cost of access to information and networks.

The popular concept of democracy-particularly when related to digital platforms and social technologies-emphasizes the role of participation. None of them, however, highlight perhaps more fundamental ways that digital platforms-as they are currently structured-could become more democratic in their use and structure. Still others suggest that the key threat to democracy flows from authoritarian regimes exploiting data to oppress open speech and political activity.Д®ach of these arguments has merit, especially in that they are not mutually exclusive. Others argue that misinformation and/or disinformation has proliferated on digital platforms, aided by the autonomous administration of algorithms seeking attention from users. Fingers of blame are pointed in multiple directions to explain how this has failed to materialize, while informed insiders of some of the largest digital companies point out that, even if people are well-meaning, digital platform business models make it difficult to remodel incentive structures or change internal politics that lead to negative externalities for users and communities. The fact that the digital transformation has had trouble delivering what once seemed all but certain has confounded platforms, political parties, and citizens around the world. Adherents believed its universal accessibility would mean вЂњdemocratizingвЂќ the world, connecting communities and nations into a вЂњglobal village.вЂќ In todayвЂ™s environment it may sound strange, but in its infancy, championing democracy was part of the hope for the Internet. Social technologies can enhance democracy by making it more inclusive, deliberative, responsive, and accountable, but the last decade has seen social media platforms beleaguered with accusations of being harmful to democracy. Social technologies have been, and will likely continue to be, central in the global digital transformation of the 21st century.

Evolve together