As of June 2025, our new report Protecting Digital Civic Space in the EU is available.
The report presents findings from meetings with representatives of over 60 civil society organisations, experts, academics, and regulators held in Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, and Bucharest. It explores how European regulatory frameworks will shape the everyday reality of social and political debate online. Our consultation meetings addressed the effectiveness of enforcement of existing regulations, the transparency of platform mechanisms, and the role of civil society organisations in digital discourse.
“The European Commission is strengthening digital policy frameworks by expanding the Digital Services Act through new guidelines and proposed initiatives such as the European Democracy Shield and the Digital Fairness Act. Our report aims to assess the effectiveness of existing tools, highlight unresolved challenges, and consider the role national governments should play in the digital environment,” commented Jakub Szymik, founder of Digital Democracy Watch.
At the heart of our analysis are five key areas shaping the future of digital democracy in the EU:
- effectiveness of regulation for electoral integrity,
- independence and public trust in supervisory authorities,
- impacts and exclusions related to artificial intelligence,
- threats to equitable access to communication,
- ambiguities around content moderation by digital platforms.
We invite you to read the report and share your thoughts. We hope it will serve as a strong voice from our region in the ongoing debate on the future of digital democracy.