In January 2025, the TWON consortium developed a second TWON policy brief, on regulating online social networks! The briefing was developed in a comprehensive process with academic input, was then enriched with citizens’ perspectives from the DialoguePerspectives Citizen Lab in Fall 2024 and reviewed multiple times by academics in the consortium.Â
The briefing focuses on funding research and the development of public platforms, promoting content diversity through algorithmic design, platform regulation to strengthen interoperability and transparency of platforms, as well as the promotion of media literacy and support of independent journalism.
The Digital Service Act does not do enough for research access. While its article §40 implements a duty for very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs) to allow research access, it is not sufficient. That is why the TWON collaborated with Digits EU, and the Digital Law Institute Trier to feedback the commission on loopholes in this paragraph. The result is an official statement, that the commission now considers.
Their main points of criticism are:
Data access to what? Allow specific requests, as data on minor algorithm changes for specific user groups is currently enclosed. Broaden the definition of systemic risks and create transparency around A/B tests, as they hold great research value.
Data access for whom? Peer review is a standard research process, so peer access to data sets is necessary. Also, allow short-notice data-reaccess to react after peer review, enable group-verifications and create a clear definition of the researcher status to prevent too high barriers.
Verification of data? Currently there is no control mechanism to ensure that the provided data by VLOPs and VLOSEs is correct. An obligation to provide correct datasets needs to be implemented.
Are you researching social interactions of any combination of agents and/or humans on the web, including the architectures and platforms enabling and influencing those interactions? Then you are a fit.đź’ˇ
For our workshop on semantic generative agents on the web at the ESWC 2025 in Slovenia we are still accepting papers. Especially welcome are submissions on agent knowledge representation, their reasoning capabilities and way of communication. đź’¬
Topics of interest include – Agents for simulating (nonrational) human behavior – Agents on the (social) web for analyzing communicative behavior – Platforms for simulating and researching agent communication and platform mechanics – Recursive AI agents for higher levels of task complexity, adaptivity, and autonomy
We encourage papers from different backgrounds, various disciplines and of various lengths. Papers going beyond traditional paper formats, like demo, data and position papers, are welcome! 🎯
đź“ŤSubmission deadline is the 6th of March. đź“ŤPaper submission requires the conference attendance of at least one involved researcher. The conference takes place from June 1st to June 5th in Portoroz, Slovenia.
How can we ensure trust and responsibility in the use of generative AI? What role does it hold in the future of media? What are recommender systems and how do they shape our news feeds?
These were the key questions discussed at the Media Futures Annual Meeting in Bergen, Norway, which brought together over 130 participants from organizations such as @BBC Verify, TV 2, Nokia Bell Labs Cambridge, Amazon Web Services, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Dataminr. TWON-consortium leader Damian Trilling, professor at Vrjje Universiteit Amsterdam, discussed one of the above mentioned questions in his closing speech: He outlined the impact of different responsible recommender systems for news, as there needs to be a balance between user engagement and ethical considerations. The Twin of Online Social Networks (TWON) can help to find out, what this balance shall look like and what the impacts of a disbalance are.
The event also featured insightful keynotes that discussed emerging ethical challenges and technological strategies to tackle them, assessed the potential of AI in disaster response, stressed the addressing of falsehoods in uncertain times or showed the impact of regular and early smartphone usage on our world view.
We are happy about the success of the SFI MediaFutures Annual Meeting 2024, fostering collaboration between researchers, industry experts and practitioners.
How does antisemitism appear on social media? What is the role of platform operators when it comes to the moderation of hateful content? And how to counter antisemitism online?
These were only some of the questions discussed during DialoguePerspective’s European Practitioners Network Against Antisemitism meeting in Belgrade this November. In a number of input sessions and workshops participants exchanged the challenges and developed possible solutions, with a focus on intersectionality and younger generations. A visit to a local synagogue gave the chance to grasp realities of Jewish life in Serbia.
In the panel discussion TWON’s Jonas Fegert discussed with Katharina von Schnurbein (European Commission’s Coordination on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life), Friedrich Enders (TikTok) and Misko Stanisicšić (Terraforming). Moderated by Jo Frank (DialoguePerspectives) they talked about countering antisemitism online. Jonas Fegert stressed the importance of understanding platform mechanisms, as there is currently a lack of transparency. A Twin of Online Social Networks (a TWON), such as the one we are currently building, is a crucial tool to understanding the effects of platform design choices. The researcher access to platform data guaranteed by the Digital Services Act (DSA) is a chance to shed light in this field. But it is also the responsibility of platform operators to create transparency and cooperate with researchers.
The event was kicked off by remarks by Anke Konrad (German Ambassador to Serbia), Avivit Bar-Ilan (Israeli Ambassador to Serbia), Edward Ferguson (UK Ambassador to Serbia), Brankica Janković (Commission for Protection of Equality, Serbia) and Katharina von Schnurbein.
Thank you for the great discussions with practitioners, activists, policy makers and platform operators!
As part of the Days for Democracy Karlsruhe the participants of DialoguePerspectives’ European Leadership Workshop discussed on how online social networks influence democracy in the digital age.
Achim Rettinger (Trier University), Neta-Paulina Wagner (DialoguePerspectives) & Damian Trilling (Amsterdam University) (from left to right)
Discussions in small groups among participants of the European Leadership Workshop
At the end of the 4-day workshop (16.-19. September 2024) the participants worked on a policy brief on necessary regulatory action. This will be used as a basis for further discussion for the scientists of the TWON consortium.
Presentation of ideas for regulatory measures
The European Leadership Workshop moderated by DialoguePerspectives’ programme manager Neta-Paulina Wagner is an integral part of the TWON project:
– It works on the translation from research in to actionable solutions.
– It equips participants with the skills and insights needed to navigate and address the challenges posed by digital democracy.
– Participants actively contribute to the broader conversation on digital citizenship and how we can shape a more resilient, informed, and participatory society in the face of rapidly evolving digital challenges.
A big thank you to our partner DialoguePerspectives for organizing the workshop and thank you to all participants for the great discussions!
On the previous day we also had a consortium meeting in the representation of the state of Baden-WĂĽrttemberg to the European Union in Brussels – thank you for hosting us!
Jonas Fegert, Michael Mäs, Marko Grobelnik, Achim Rettinger and Damian Trilling (left to right)Marko Grobelnik, Achim Rettinger, Michael Mäs, Damian Trilling, Alisa Kerschbaum and Jonas Fegert (left to right)
After nearly a year and two consortium meetings in Amsterdam and Karlsruhe, the TWON team met again on March 11. to March 13. 2024 in Trier. University Trier (UT) planned two intensive days to collate previous developments and direct the project into the first simulation phase. However, before diving into the workshops and presentations, UT hosted an auxiliary welcome dinner where early arrivals could taste regional produce in a nostalgic setting beside the old-town cathedral.
The TWON consortium in Trier
Lifted by the ancient Roman spirits and their legacy, the team started the first day by providing updates about the work of each partner. The presentation showed that the team came a long way from their theoretical proposals defined in the last consortium meeting to the first experiments and insights. As planned, the team formed independent working groups to maximize their efficiency during the TWON implementation. Concerning the user simulation, Michael Heseltine presented the first analysis of the human-perceived authenticity of synthetic content across European languages as a joint work with Simon Münker. Michael Mäs and his team proposed a recommendation system, a global white-box approach as a baseline, and Sjoerd B. Stolwijk an initial definition to assess the discourse quality. The modules allow separate usage for fundamental research and utilization in similar scenarios. However, without a technical backbone, their usability is limited. Abdul Sittar presented a refined version of this backbone, almost ready for the first simulation.
Besides focusing on direct project progress, Achim Rettinger, the host of this meeting, invited the UT law department. To broaden the perspective of the team members, the law department discussed the upcoming regulations in the EU concerning AI and social media networks (OSN). While not having a direct influence, this interlude presented opportunities for TWON to possibly engage with OSN providers to request data. Dripping like soaked sponges full of impressions, the team stopped for some last nuggets, this time drinks and food, at a local winery.
Not only educated by yesterday’s presentations but also the numerous ingenious conversations between wine and dinner, the team gathered for the second day to plan the next steps. With a focus on the upcoming case study, the research group split into breakout sessions to decide the experiment’s boundary conditions and subsequent steps. Thus, in unanimous agreement, the team decides to conduct the controlled field study in a hybrid setup, with humans and agents, discussing the upcoming Ukrainian elections.
The meeting ended with a guided exploration of the historic city center and famous Roman architectural buildings. Trier, the oldest city in Germany, residuals reminiscent of its long-gone power as the capital of the Roman Empire, is now possibly a stone in the pathway toward human-centric AI. The next meeting will occur in Dubrovnik, a place equally historically impactful!
Since 2024, Achim Rettinger is a member of the Policy Working Group on Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for the Information and Communication Space. The international team focuses on the impact of rapid AI advancements on the global information ecosystem.
For this the team is developing a policy framework aiming to ensure the responsible and democratic use of AI in the information sector. The recommendations address four key areas.
Development and Deployment of AI systems
Accountability regimes (for developers, deployers, users and subjects of AI systems)
Ethical incentives (during development, deployment and use)
Governance of AI
Through this work, the group aims to ensure that AI remains a public good, governed by democratic principles that protect the integrity of information systems and democratic values.
