Transparency on Digital Platforms

Abstract

The lack of transparency on digital platforms due to insufficient comprehensibility, mandated disclosure rules, information overload, opacity and fragmentation jeopardizes the rights’ situation of users. Therefore, transparency alone is not a convincing «disinfectant» for digital platforms; other normative models need increased attention. Consequently, the article analyses alternative regulatory approaches such as accountability, auditability, observability, content moderation and – with regard to the implementation of rules – pleads for a concept of targeted transparency based on elaborated soft law instruments.