Technical Sovereignty and Digital Democracy in Europe – Follower or Influencer ? A New Media Approach

The digital turn has considerably impacted geopolitics in terms of power, governance and regulation, leading to a proliferation of stakeholders and networks at multiple levels (states, international organisations, private companies, civil society and citizens), new dynamics of competition in a transnational space that is becoming increasingly virtual, borderless and deterritorialised (cyberspace), and novel forms of learning, work and human activity. Digital technologies have also brought about a paradigm shift in information and communication systems, with the emergence of new media (online platforms, interactive websites, algorithmic decision-making ecosystems, etc.) that will have a long-term impact on social and cultural practices, interpersonal and societal relations, the public sphere and the exercise of individual and collective democracy.