Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://www.weizenbaum-library.de/handle/id/956
The Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society is an interdisciplinary, diamond open access journal that investigates processes of digitalization in society from the perspectives of different research areas.
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Item Is Authenticity an Effective Antidote to Misinformation?(Weizenbaum Institute, 2025) Hoepman, Jaap-HenkThe growing impact of false and misleading information is a cause for concern. Some have suggested an authenticity crisis as the cause, namely, the fact that we can no longer be certain of the source and integrity of a particular piece of information. To fix this, the ubiquitous use of digital signatures has been proposed to (re)establish the authenticity of information. We argue that this is unlikely to curb the impact of misinformation for several reasons. First, little evidence suggests that more authenticity could theoretically solve part of the misinformation problem. In fact, the implied use of signatures as a proxy for veracity is fundamentally problematic. Second, there are significant barriers to the practical implementation of ubiquitous signing. Lastly, we point out potential negative side effects. We conclude that authenticity is not effective in countering misinformation.Item Beyond Open Access(Weizenbaum Institute, 2025) Schön, Sandra; Ebner, MartinOpen educational resources (OER) are widely recognized for improving access to education and enabling the sharing of knowledge. However, in the context of European university alliances such as Unite!, OER offer additional, often underappreciated benefits that are crucial for cross-border collaboration and sustainable development in higher education. This paper explores three key aspects of OER that are particularly relevant to European alliances. First, OER enable the legally secure use of educational resources across national borders, addressing uncertainties about copyright laws, particularly for translations and adaptations. This ensures compliance with different legal frameworks while fostering collaboration. Second, OER support sustainability by ensuring that investments in educational materials are not limited by restrictive usage rights. This is especially critical in alliances where shared resources are central to fostering long-term cooperation and aligning with sustainability goals, a priority for Unite!. Finally, OER contribute to digital sovereignty by empowering institutions and educators to create, adapt, and share resources without relying on proprietary platforms or licenses. This coincides with European alliances’ broader strategic objective of promoting autonomy and resilience in their digital ecosystems. By highlighting these often-overlooked benefits of OER, the present research aims to broaden the perspective on their strategic importance in fostering collaboration, sustainability, and sovereignty within European university alliances.Item Measuring the Experience of Eudaimonic Virtues in Technology Interaction: Development and Validation of the Eudaimonic Interaction Inventory (EII)(Weizenbaum Institute, 2025-05-12) Jörs, Julian Marvin; De Luca, Ernesto WilliamA growing emphasis on well-being in technology development raises the need for adequate measurement methods to quantify technology’s influence on individuals’ well-being. Psychological research has identified different well-being orientations, including hedonia (seeking comfort, relaxation, and pleasure) or eudaimonia, which emphasizes personal growth, excellence, meaningfulness, and authenticity. In particular, promoting eudaimonic well-being (EWB) continues to be a challenge in human-computer interaction as it manifests itself as a multidimensional construct. This paper presents the Eudaimonic Interaction Inventory, a scale for quantifying the experience of four core aspects of eudaimonic virtues (authenticity, meaning, excellence, growth) in interaction with technology. The inventory was validated through six steps across three distinct studies, resulting in twelve items categorized into four subscales. With this inventory, we hope to contribute to EWB research in technology by making future interactions with technology measurable in terms of EWB.Item China’s Deepening Infrastructural Capitalism: The Hard Landing of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Automated Technology(Weizenbaum Institute, 2024-12-05) Pun, NgaiThis paper explores the rise of China’s infrastructural capitalism, a stage of global capitalism marked by state-led infrastructure development and the advent of digital platforms. Drawing on political economy and cultural studies, the author frames the current artificial intelligence and big data race between China and the United States as a new Cold War driven not by ideology but by competing capitalist logics. China’s model is seen as a response rather than an alternative to the limits of neoliberal capitalism, merging extractive, industrial, and digital forms of capital. The paper emphasizes the contradictions inherent in this system, particularly the exploitation of labor and environmental degradation. At the center of the analysis lies the concept of the “infrastructural power of labor,” which highlights how various worker subjects (e.g., factory, logistics, platform, and data laborers) are both shaped by and shape infrastructural capitalism. The paper calls for renewed attention to labor struggles and solidarity in the face of growing precarity in the artificial intelligence and automation-driven economy.Item The Politics of Risk in the Digital Services Act: A Stakeholder Mapping and Research Agenda(Weizenbaum Institute, 2025-04-17) Griffin, RachelThe EU’s 2022 Digital Services Act requires large online platforms to regularly assess and mitigate ‘systemic risks’ to various public-interest goals, including fundamental rights, civic discourse, public health and security. Drawing on social constructionist understandings of risk, this article theorizes systemic risk management under the DSA as an arena for political power and contestation, since translating its broadly-defined abstract principles into actionable risk management procedures will entail making many contestable political decisions about how online platforms should be governed. This raises the question: who will exercise power in these decision-making processes? Providing some first answers to this question, this article makes three key contributions. First, it maps the key stakeholder groups involved, and the legal and institutional mechanisms through which they can participate in DSA systemic risk management. Second, it critically analyzes the power dynamics and unequal resources that will structure stakeholder participation. Third, this stakeholder mapping provides a foundation for future research on the politics of DSA systemic risks. The article concludes with reflections on directions for future research on the political agendas, priorities and strategies that shape platform governance.Item Reddit as a “Safe Space”: Topic Modeling of Online Mental Health Communities for Depression and Anxiety(Weizenbaum Institute, 2025-05-12) Grub, Maria F.This study explores the thematic landscape of depression, anxiety, and general mental health communities on Reddit, examining how users seek support within these online health communities (OHCs). Grounded in community theory, which frames OHCs as spaces for connection, shared identity, and collective learning (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015), this research identifies unique and overlapping themes across 16 subreddits. The results show that all three communities address four main thematic categories (everyday life, dealing with the disease, diagnosis, and therapy) and prioritize emotional support over medical information-seeking. However, each community has a distinct focus: depression discussions revolve around negative self-reflection, anxiety communities emphasize active coping and stress relief, and broader mental health communities address diverse topics, including trauma. By highlighting OHCs’ dual role in providing emotional and informational support, this study advances health communication science, underscoring the therapeutic value of online spaces in reducing isolation and offering alternative support networks. Future research should examine interaction dynamics to improve the understanding of how OHCs contribute to positive coping strategies.Item The Effects of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics on Employment and Wages in Korean Manufacturing Firms(Weizenbaum Institute, 2025-04-17) Jeong, Jun Ho; Jo, Hyung JeThis article analyzes the effects of two key automation technologies – artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics – on employment and wages in Korean manufacturing since the late 2010s. Drawing on firm-level data from the Survey of Business Activities and individual wage data from the Local Labor Force Survey, the analysis explores both firm- and worker-level impacts. Adoption of these technologies is concentrated in large firms within the electronics and automotive sectors. Robotics has been widely implemented, primarily for cost reduction, safety enhancement, and union avoidance, whereas AI adoption remains limited but is gradually expanding. The results reveal contrasting effects: AI adoption is associated with job creation and wage growth, while robotics tends to reduce both employment and wages – an outcome that diverges from findings in existing firm-level studies. These negative effects appear to stem from Korea’s institutional context, where automation – particularly robotics – is frequently employed to reduce labor costs rather than to enhance productivity, as well as from diminishing marginal returns in industries with long-standing automation. Importantly, these wage effects persist even when U.S.-based automation exposure measures are applied, suggesting broader applicability. However, the findings underscore that the economic impact of automation depends significantly on the motivations and strategies behind its adoption. In the case of Korean manufacturing, capital-biased automation driven by robotics has contributed mainly to labor displacement without generating substantial productivity gains, reflecting Acemoglu and Restrepo’s (2018) notion of ‘so-so automation.’Item Automation and Its Impact on Productivity and Workers: Lessons from the History of the Car Industry(Weizenbaum Institute, 2025-04-17) Jürgens, UlrichThis article explores the historical development and impact of automation in the automotive industry, focusing on the production systems of Ford, Toyota, and Volkswagen, and addresses two key research questions: How has automation evolved over time? What are its effects on productivity and labor? Drawing on company archives, empirical fieldwork, and the existing literature, the study uses a wcase study approach. The findings reveal that automation progressed in uneven, layered trajectories rather than through disruptive leaps. While machining, press, and paint shops have become highly automated, final assembly remains largely manual. Automation’s influence on productivity has declined over time, with product complexity and shorter model cycles emerging as constraints. Employment effects are nuanced, and shaped by automation, outsourcing, and customization trends. Ultimately, the study cautions against deterministic views of technological change and highlights the persistent role of organizational and institutional factors. The transition to electric vehicles may trigger further automation – but not necessarily through disruptive technologies alone.Item Democratic Oversight of Government Hacking by Intelligence Agencies: A Critical Analysis of Brazil and Germany(Weizenbaum Institute, 2025-04-17) André RamiroRegulating intelligence services is a challenge for modern societies worldwide. Their very modus operandi relies on tight secrecy protocols for the information gathered, internationally and domestically. Evolving surveillance techniques include exploiting the vulnerabilities of digital services, dealing on unregulated surveillance markets, and developing tailored tools. Theoretically, these actions aim at the public interest by, for instance, anticipating terrorist attacks or dismantling pedophilia networks. Nevertheless, they are increasingly used to surveil civil society without proper and demonstrated necessity or proportionality. Given the demand for increased transparency and accountability for intelligence agencies, especially when using hacking technologies, what institutional design and civic participation avenues for oversight may be proposed? How can (existing and yet-to-exist) institutions improve democratic external oversight activities in this realm? Through a comparison of Germany’s and Brazil’s legal frameworks and institutional ecosystems, the paper critically explores the meaning of “democratic oversight” of intelligence agencies, specifically observing oversight models for hacking operations. Looking at previous contributions by intelligence studies scholars in these countries and globally, the paper offers a critical-comparative analysis of institutional and political architectures to assess the levels of democratic participation. On this basis, it makes recommendations for both countries, which can be appropriated by external intelligence oversight bodies.Item Dark Patterns and Addictive Designs(Weizenbaum Institute, 2025-05-12) Ye, XinThe proliferation of digital platforms has given rise to manipulative design practices known as “dark patterns,” which exploit users’ vulnerabilities to influence behavior, leading them to make decisions against their own interests. Among these, addictive designs have emerged as a particularly concerning subset, systematically capturing and manipulating user attention to create compulsive engagement. This paper explores the concept of addictive designs as a type of dark pattern, examining their manipulative nature, impact on user autonomy, and potential harm to well-being. By analyzing the current legal framework in the European Union related to dark patterns, including the General Data Protection Regulation, the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, the Digital Services Act, this paper identifies significant gaps in how the challenges posed by addictive designs are addressed. The paper makes three key suggestions for effectively regulating these practices and protecting users’ rights: clarifying the definition and scope of dark patterns to encompass both interface designs and algorithmic systems; recognizing the value of attention in shaping personal autonomy and considering attention rights as a distinct category of protection in digital regulations; and amending consumer protection laws to address the online manipulation of digital markets.