TWON – TWON

On the Ethics of Using TWONs: TWON Policy Brief #1

Researchers of the TWON consortium have achieved another milestone regarding the communication of results and insights of our EU-funded research project. As we are breaking new ground at the intersection of diverse academic discplines, we are confronted with new ethical questions relating to our work. A Digital Twin of an Online Social Network (TWON) may be a powerful instrument for researching and regulating digital public spaces. Yet, the vast and detailed datasets on user behaviour also pose significant ethical risks. TWONs could be used to undermine user interests and democratic norms. Important questions arise with regard to the technological tools we are developing: Who should have access to these tools? How should these tools be regulated?

As scholars researching the relationship of social and political dynamics on one hand and digital technologies and communicative settings on the other hand, we do not want to shy away from these important normative questions: The answers to these questions may well determine the societal impact of our joint research project. Therefore, we aim to address these crucial normative and ethical questions heads on. Our first TWON Policy Brief, thus, focuses on these questions, emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations in our research and the dissemination of our findings. The policy brief sketches out possible approaches to TWONs, different governance and regulation frameworks as well as their risks and benefits.

The full report can be found here.

2024-10-28_TWON-policy-brief Download

Consortium Meeting in Dubrovnik

The first half of our 3-year project has passed. So, it was time to come together as a consortium, share our progress and discuss the next steps.

Hosted by Marko Grobelnik and his team, we met at Jozef Stefan Institute’s partner organization, the Center for Advanced Academic Studies, in beautiful Dubrovnik. After an opening keynote by Prof. Marko Tadić who is a linguist at the University of Zagreb, we updated each other on the status of the TWON and decided to build a demonstrator – the Twonny! The Twonny will help us to communicate the results and insights of our complex research project ot a wider public. Apart from that we discussed the design of our case studies with Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and Slovenska tiskovna agencija (STA) and planned our work in the coming months.

The last day was kicked off with a workshop by the FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik on stakeholders and policy recommendations. The advisory board member Judith Peterka delivered an input and the team worked on policy recommendations, that participants of DialoguePerspectives’ TWON Citizen Lab had drafted. The day ended with a hackathon to find and fix bugs together.

Of course we also enjoyed the sea, went for a swim and had excellent Croatian seafood – and took the opportunity to grow together as a team and recharge our batteries for the work ahead.

How to build digital Spaces: Modeling, data analysis, and qualitative approaches.

MODIS 2024 Workshop Recap

The MODIS 2024 workshop, recently held as part of the Horizon Europe projects TWON and SoMe4Dem, successfully gathered experts from various fields to explore the role of online social networks (OSN) in shaping public opinion and democracy. Attendees discussed the latest research on misinformation, AI’s influence on digital platforms, and strategies to counter harmful narratives. The event highlighted key advancements in modeling user behavior and fostering resilience to propaganda, paving the way for future innovation in this critical area. OSNs were once believed to have an enormous potential to foster democratic debates and processes. In recent years, however, OSNs have been associated with various challenges for democracies and public discourse. These debates are often structured around key words such as echo chambers and filter bubbles and have garnered immense public attention. Research from computational social sciences, on the other hand, has painted a more nunanced picture. The symposium brought together insights from a broad range of research approaches, reflecting on methodologies and discussing future pathways and research agendas.

TWON’s Michael Mäs opened the workshop with his introduction. Later in the workshop he provided insights into his work as part of the TWON consortium, highlighting the scientific, technical, and ethical challenges that are linked to building a Twin of an Online Social Network (TWON).

For more details, visit the MODIS 2024 page.

Panel Discussion Recap: The Intersection of Generative AI and Online Social Networks

In a panel discussion hosted by AlgorithmWatch in Berlin, the FZI’s Jonas Fegert emphasized the inseparable link between Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Online Social Networks (OSNs). He argued that to fully understand platform mechanisms, we need to develop Digital Twins of Online Social Networks (TWONs), which will provide greater insight into how these platforms function and influence user interactions. With our joint research project, we are taking important stapes in this direction.

The discussion explored the growing role of Generative AI in shaping online communication and the importance of transparent oversight to address the ethical and societal implications of these technologies. In the light of multiple state elections in Germany, the immediate political effects of OSNs and AI were another focal point of the discussion.

A Call to Action: New Paper on Youth Online Mental Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) has put forward guiding principles on online mental health for young people. In a newly published study, TWON-researchers integrate the WHO framework into a European context. They emphasize the impact of digital platforms and online social networks (OSNs) on mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified both the usage of digital technologies and a mental health crisis that is affecting young people in particular. Traditional services are increasingly losing touch with the young target group. Substantial challenges arise from the need to provide accessible and flexible mental health support while ensuring adherence to evidence-based guidelines.

The authors stress the special character of the European context: Typically, most young Europeans are growing up as digital natives, given the broad accessibility of advanced technology. Yet, there are important regional differences concerning the approach to mental health and the influence of social stigma related to the concept. Taking into account socioeconomic discrepancies and varying degrees of media literacy across Europe, this stresses the need for culturally sensitive mental health support. So far, online mental health services are often provided by independent organizations. But like other health-related services and products, the sector is in need of a sound regulatory framework to ensure both the quality and accessibility of services.

This highlights the need to gain a better understanding of platform mechanisms and the effects of algorithmic hyper-personalization and, therefore, the importance of our joint project TWON. Based on their research, the authors developed five core recommendations:

1. The specific European context must be considered.

2. Quality and accessibility of services must be balanced carefully.

3. Involving young people and families, leveraging their knowledge while enhancing digital literacy, is key.

4. The rise of AI must be addressed, concerning both the potential of AI for developing mental health support and the risks of biases and misinformation.

5. A regulatory framework must be developed to ensure safety, effectiveness, and ethical standards.

If you want to learn more about the issue, you can access the full article here!