Decentralizing Platform Power: A Design Space of Multi-Level Governance in Online Social Platforms

Abstract

Many have criticized the centralized and unaccountable governance of prominent online social platforms, leading to renewed interest in platform governance that incorporates multiple centers of power. Decentralization of power can arise horizontally, through parallel communities, each with local administration, and vertically, through multiple hierarchies of overlapping jurisdiction. Drawing from literature on federalism and polycentricity in analogous offline institutions, we scrutinize the landscape of existing platforms through the lens of multi-level governance. Our analysis describes how online platforms incorporate varying forms and degrees of decentralized governance. In particular, we propose a framework that characterizes the general design space and the various ways that middle levels of governance vary in how they can interact with a centralized governance system above and end users below. This focus provides a starting point for new lines of inquiry between platform- and community-governance scholarship. By engaging themes of decentralization, hierarchy, power, and responsibility, while discussing concrete examples, we connect designers and theorists of online spaces.

An institutional approach to analyze the multi-level policymaking system of online social networks: a case study of Iran

“…In this regard, from the theoretical aspect, this research defines an OSN participatory policymaking system based on the multilevel governance model of online social platforms presented by Jhaver et al (2023), as a multilevel system in which decision-making authority is distributed vertically across different levels of jurisdiction and horizontally over different units. At its highest level, which is called the macro level, there are the main and powerful actors, but they do not monopolize the policymaking and decision-making authority; instead, decision-making authority is shared by various actors at different administrative levels.…”

“…Therefore, in this study, the concept of multilevel governance is used to propose an effective model of OSN participatory policymaking. Based on the multilevel governance model of (Jhaver et al , 2023), which is introduced for online social platforms, the policymaking system of OSN can be considered a multilevel system. In this system, decision-making authority is distributed vertically across multiple levels of jurisdiction and horizontally over many units (Figure 1).…”

“…Each actor at the meso level is also governed by the macro level. The features of the OSN multilevel policymaking system are as follows (Jhaver et al , 2023):…”

From Scalability to Subsidiarity in Addressing Online Harm

“…In contrast to federalism, the idea of polycentricity "connotes many centers of decision making that are formally independent of each other" (V. Ostrom et al, 1961). A system may include inequalities of authority, but these are not necessarily strict hierarchies with a single apex (Jhaver et al, 2021;E. Ostrom, 2010;V.…”

“…Ostrom et al, 1961). A system may include inequalities of authority, but these are not necessarily strict hierarchies with a single apex (Jhaver et al, 2021; E. Ostrom, 2010; V. Ostrom, 1972/1999).…”