17. Open Digital Infrastructures for Democratic Resilience and Economic Sovereignty

Abstract: This chapter advances six theses on why digital resilience and economic sovereignty in platformised societies depend on the systematic strengthening of open digital infrastructures. It argues that proprietary, centralised platforms generate structural dependencies, democratic vulnerabilities and economic lock-in effects, while open standards, open protocols and free software enable decentralisation, interoperability and collective self-empowerment. Conceptualising open digital infrastructures as digital commons shifts attention from problems of overuse to challenges of provision, maintenance and sustainable financing. Treating open infrastructures as essential public services, comparable to transport or energy networks emphasises responsibilities of the state in funding and regulating such infrastructures. Yet, to avoid undermining their decentralised character, pluralistic governance arrangements and new legal forms of public social ownership such as public infrastructure funds, mandatory commons contributions and multi-stakeholder oversight are needed.