On Shaping Online Social Networks for a Democratic Digital Public Sphere: TWON Policy Brief #3

In March 2026, the TWON consortium developed its third and final policy brief, presenting policy recommendations for shaping online social networks in line with democratic values, fundamental rights, and European digital sovereignty.

The recommendations were developed through an iterative and participatory process, drawing on insights from the TWON Citizen Labs and the Policy Hackathon. They reflect the collaboration of researchers, citizens, civil society actors, policymakers, and domain experts, highlighting the importance of cross-sector exchange for creating relevant, evidence-based, and implementable policy recommendations.

The policy brief focuses on strengthening research access and platform transparency, effectively enforcing the DSA and DMA, promoting safe-by-design platform architectures, supporting European public-interest platforms, advancing media literacy, evidence-based policymaking, and independent journalism.

We sincerely thank all participants and contributors involved in the Citizen Labs and the Policy Hackathon for their valuable input, critical reflections, and dedicated engagement.

See the full briefing below &

Download the TWON Policy Brief #3 here