The Transformation of International Authority: Platform Capitalism and Institutional Power

Platform capitalism’s growth demands reevaluating international institutions that resolve digital power and representation questions. The study analyzes the digital platforms’ algorithmic control mechanisms on international institutions, including challenges concerning democratic legitimacy and institutional accountability. The disruption of international power structures is examined through Hayekian market principles and Weberian conceptions of legitimate authority. Comparative analysis of platform governance reveals institutional authority forms that bypass existing regulatory frameworks. Examining social media and cross-border data flows illuminates critical institutional weaknesses: debilitated governmental bodies, expansion of private power, and democratic legitimacy. New institutional processes are therefore crucial for upholding democratic accountability within platform capitalism. Through analysis of regulatory frameworks, the study proposes innovative approaches to international governance and addresses challenges to digital power. This research offers crucial insights for organizations navigating the global power realignment by platform capitalism, and advances theoretical understandings of institutional change in the digital age.