Last week, the TWON consortium came together in Berlin to advance ongoing work on democratic online social networks and to strengthen the project’s dialogue with policy and civil society stakeholders.
Across a series of internal and public sessions, the meeting focused on how platform design and algorithmic choices shape democratic discourse, contribute to polarization, and influence the spread of disinformation. A dedicated Policy Hackathon provided space for consortium members and external experts to explore regulatory challenges and identify priorities for future policy-oriented work.
In addition, TWON hosted a public dissemination event at Publix, bringing together participants from politics, academia, and civil society to discuss responsible platform design and the broader implications of the project’s research.
The week also included TWON’s General Assembly, where the consortium reflected on progress and lessons learned and discussed how the project’s insights can support future research and collaboration beyond TWON.
The programme concluded with a visit to the German Chancellery and further exchanges with colleagues from the policy sphere, highlighting the importance of connecting research and governance perspectives in the field of online platforms.
The TWON consortium thanks all contributors for their engagement, constructive discussions, and continued collaboration.
