Platvormivõim: kelle huvid ja väärtused meid juhivad? Andra Siibak, TÜ meediauuringute professor

Item: Platvormivõim: kelle huvid ja väärtused meid juhivad? Andra Siibak, TÜ meediauuringute professor
Rating: 4
Author: PostSingularity Institute

by Andra Siibak

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought AI & Society UBDigital and Information technology: general topics UBJDigital and information technologies: social and ethical aspects

🎙 Andra Siibak 👥 1K 📅 September 26, 2025 ⏱ 28 min 👁 116 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-16

Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

platform societysurveillance capitalismdata colonialismdigital sovereigntylobbying

Summary

In this talk, Andra Siibak, Professor of Media Studies at the University of Tartu, discusses the concept of platform power and its implications for society. She begins by describing the ‘deep mediatization’ of society, where media technologies are pervasive and invasive. She introduces the ‘platform society’ concept, coined by José van Dijck in 2013, highlighting how platforms have become integral to various sectors like education, health, and journalism. Siibak explains the value conflicts between global corporations and public institutions, referencing Shoshana Zuboff’s ‘surveillance capitalism’ and the notion of ‘data colonialism’. She discusses how platforms have become infrastructure, creating dependencies and power imbalances. She outlines two dimensions of platform power: internal (content moderation, curation) and instrumental (lobbying, influencing policy). She cites examples such as the deplatforming of Donald Trump and the significant lobbying expenditures by tech companies in the EU and US. She also touches on the role of AI, noting that it is shaped by dominant interests. In conclusion, she emphasizes that platform power is a matter of negotiation and that citizens need better digital literacy to assert their rights. The talk includes a Q&A session where she addresses questions about individual empowerment and Europe’s position in AI development.

199 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The talk provides a comprehensive overview of platform power, synthesizing key academic concepts and empirical examples. Siibak’s argumentation is solid, drawing on established scholars like van Dijck, Zuboff, and Crawford, and supporting claims with concrete data on lobbying expenditures. She effectively illustrates the tension between public interest and corporate interests, and the discussion is nuanced, acknowledging both internal and instrumental dimensions of power. The value lies in its clear articulation of complex issues and its relevance to current debates on digital sovereignty and regulation.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The presentation demonstrates scientific rigor by referencing well-known academic works and providing specific examples. The sources cited are credible, including books by van Dijck and Zuboff, and reports on lobbying. The title accurately reflects the content, which is a critical analysis of platform power. The talk is an expert opinion, not a peer-reviewed study, but it is grounded in research. The Q&A adds depth, addressing practical implications. Overall, the sources are appropriate and the title-content alignment is strong.

177 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on platform power and whose interests and values drive us.

Quality & Reliability

8/10

The speaker is a professor of media studies with 20 years of research experience, and the talk is grounded in established academic concepts (platform society, surveillance capitalism, data colonialism). The presentation is well-structured and references credible scholars and studies, though it is an opinion/expert talk rather than a peer-reviewed presentation.

Key Moments

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

Cited Sources

The Platform Society: Public Values in a Connective World — Mentioned as the book by José van Dijck that introduced the concept of platform society.
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism — Referenced as the work by Shoshana Zuboff on surveillance capitalism.
Atlas of AI — Mentioned as a work by Kate Crawford on AI and power.

Concurring Sources

The Platform Society: Public Values in a Connective World — Aligns with the talk's central concept.
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism — Supports the discussion of surveillance capitalism.

Contribution & Novelties

The talk synthesizes existing critical perspectives on platform power and applies them to the context of digital sovereignty, particularly in Europe. It offers a clear framework distinguishing internal and instrumental dimensions of platform power, and highlights the role of lobbying in shaping regulation. The discussion of deplatforming and its effect on misinformation provides empirical insight. The speaker’s call for digital literacy as a means of empowerment is a practical takeaway.

Pour aller plus loin :

The Platform Society — Provides background on the concept.
Surveillance capitalism — Overview of the term.
Data colonialism — Explanation of the concept.
Digital sovereignty — Relevant to the talk’s theme.
Lobbying in the European Union — Context for the lobbying data mentioned.

118 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows high scores in quantity and quality of information, with moderate technical level. This indicates a well-informed expert talk that is accessible to a general audience but still provides substantial depth.

Reliability 8/10