???? Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Visualizing Platformization and Its Governance

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In the complex world of digital platforms, it can be challenging to see the bigger picture, especially when governance efforts often focus narrowly on specific legal or economic issues. In this edition, we explore Van Dijck's insightful concept of Seeing the Forest for the Trees, which uses the metaphor of a tree to visualize platformization and its governance, offering a holistic perspective on the interdependent and hierarchical nature of information ecosystems.

What is "Seeing the Forest for the Trees"?

Van Dijck argues that the metaphor of a tree helps us understand the layered structure of platform ecosystems, where different elements of digital infrastructure, intermediary platforms, and societal sectors are deeply interconnected. This visualization allows us to comprehend how power is concentrated within platforms and how governance must adapt to address these complexities.

1. Roots: The Digital Infrastructure What it means: The roots represent the foundational digital infrastructures that support platforms, such as cables, data centers, and protocols. These are the unseen elements that enable the entire ecosystem to function. Example: The vast network of underwater cables and data centers owned by companies like Google and Amazon.
2. Trunk: The Intermediary Platforms What it means: The trunk symbolizes intermediary platforms that connect users with services and data, exerting significant control over the flow of information. Example: Social media platforms like Facebook or messaging services like WhatsApp that mediate vast amounts of data and user interaction.
3. Branches: Sectoral Applications What it means: The branches represent the various sectors that rely on platform services, from education to healthcare. These branches grow and adapt based on the data and services provided by the intermediary platforms. Example: Google Suite for Education, which integrates with educational institutions, influencing how data is managed and utilized.

The American Giant Sequoia

In the United States, platform regulation takes the form of a giant sequoia. The roots represent the deep infrastructure that tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Facebook have built to sustain their platforms. These roots—data centers, underwater cables, cloud services—are firmly privatized, controlled largely by a few powerful corporations. The trunk represents the intermediary platforms that mediate between users and infrastructures, like Google Search or Amazon Web Services, creating chokepoints where these companies gather immense control over data flows. The branches extend into different sectors, from education to healthcare, with platforms integrating seamlessly, using proprietary systems that lock users into a specific ecosystem. This “vertical integration” allows platforms to maintain dominance by stretching from the infrastructural base to sectoral applications.

What makes the U.S. system so powerful is the concentration of control in the trunk, which mediates all data flows and centralizes power. However, this model leads to minimal public oversight, with privatized data circulation undermining competition and democratic governance. The U.S. system is efficient for corporate growth but is criticized for monopolistic practices and neglecting public interests like privacy and platform accountability.

The Chinese Bamboo Tree

By contrast, the Chinese regulatory system is shaped like a bamboo tree. It is highly centralized but thin and flexible. The roots, like those of the American system, consist of a powerful infrastructure, yet this infrastructure is far more entwined with the state. China’s three tech giants—Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent (BAT)—operate under the supervision and guidance of the government, with infrastructure seen as a national security priority. The branches, representing sectoral applications, expand into various industries, but the state retains control over how data is used and distributed. This results in a more rigid regulatory framework where platforms must comply with state directives, particularly in areas like censorship and surveillance.

While this system offers a streamlined method of control and rapid growth in sectors like e-commerce and fintech, it faces criticism for its lack of transparency, suppression of free speech, and heavy reliance on state intervention.

The European Decentralized Oak Tree

The European Union envisions a regulatory system more akin to a decentralized oak tree. The EU lacks the tech giants that dominate in the U.S. and China, but it seeks to create a regulatory environment that prioritizes privacy, competition, and public values. The roots of the European system are more federated, with multiple stakeholders contributing to the digital infrastructure. The trunk—Europe’s intermediary platforms—is thinner and more fragmented, allowing public and private actors to coexist.

Branches in the European model extend into sectors like health and education, but unlike the U.S. and Chinese models, Europe’s sectoral platforms are often regulated to prevent monopolistic control. Initiatives like GDPR are emblematic of Europe’s effort to control data at the sectoral level and ensure that it serves public interests. The EU's vision of “data sovereignty” offers a more diversified ecosystem, but its lack of massive home-grown platforms means it must rely on American or Chinese intermediaries, creating challenges in asserting true regulatory power.

Unanswered Questions

• How can governance frameworks adapt to address the holistic nature of platform ecosystems?
• Should governments bet on centralized regulation os a network of agencies to manage the intertwined layers of platformization?
• How can we ensure that power within platform ecosystems is balanced and doesn't create overdependence? (for a newsletter edition on this issue )?

To Keep an Eye Out

US elections and the regulatory perspective for crypto: As the US elections approach, Donald Trump is promoting a pro-crypto agenda, contrasting with the Biden administration's strict regulatory actions. The crypto sector has invested $119 million in political donations to support candidates favoring less regulations, highlighting a push for regulatory changes amid declining public interest in cryptocurrencies. Read more.

US considers banning Chinese and Russian tech in connected cars: The US government is weighing a ban on Chinese (and potentially Russian too) hardware and software in connected vehicles due to concerns over potential espionage. While neither country's tech is widely used in US-made cars currently, the ban aims to address future risks. Read more.

Telegram to cooperate with police: Telegram has announced it will now respond to police requests (a shift from its previous stance of ignoring them). The platform will provide IP addresses and phone numbers upon request. CEO Pavel Durov has faced criticism for dismissing warnings about security risks for years. The consumer response is something to keep an eye out. Read more.

Bridging the Gap

Understanding the dynamics of platformization through metaphors like the tree can help policymakers, advocates, and public servants grasp the full scope of the challenges they face. By visualizing the interconnected layers of digital infrastructure, intermediary platforms, and societal sectors, we can better design governance frameworks that are comprehensive, balanced, and aligned with public values. This approach is essential for ensuring that the digital ecosystem remains diverse, transparent, and accountable.

• Do you think these depictions of the different "trees" fit each regulatory model??
• What type of trees are we seeing - and should aim for - in developing economies?

Share your insights in the comments below!

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Reference: Van Dijck, J. (2021). Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Visualizing Platformization and Its Governance. New Media & Society. Read the full article .

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