Governing Platforms and AI: Techno-Economic Transformations in the EU’s Digital and Audiovisual Sectors

Abstract

This panel examines how the European Union (EU) is reshaping digital governance through contested regulatory initiatives, sectoral change, and uneven implementation across member states. Moving beyond viewing EU digital policy as a coherent top-down strategy, the contributions highlight the frictions that occur when strategic ambitions clash with cultural industries, sustainability goals, platform power, and domestic political dynamics. The papers analyse the construction of digital sovereignty through discourse and coalition-building, persistent governance gaps in the environmental regulation of platform-based audiovisual markets, the reconfiguration of professional practices and power relations through AI and VoD platforms, and the domestic politics influencing the implementation of the Digital Services Act. Overall, the panel emphasises the fragmented and negotiated nature of EU digital governance and the challenges in translating strategic visions into effective policy outcomes.

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