Responsible Business Models

How do we define the public space now that human life is partially taking place online? The public space on the street is easy to imagine, and public debate in traditional media is well regulated. The notion of a digital public space can be hard to imagine. The online world is largely a private and commercial space. Even though an unprecedented amount of human interaction takes place in the digital realm, the digital environment is created and dictated by the design choices, filtering algorithms, preferences and, above all, interests of big tech companies.

In this project, commissioned by ClickNL, Waag and the HvA research the conditions for digital public spaces and the fundamental aspects of responsible business models. We explore what responsible business models are, starting from the non-extractive, sustainable, and non-monopolistic alternatives to the business models of large tech companies. We explore what the conditions are for an open and heterogeneous digital public space and how responsible business models can contribute to it, especially for digital creators.