Digital markets are currently dominated by a few large technology companies, most of them based in the US. Smaller companies, as well as we - as end users - are already quite dependent on their services, to the extent that many people are concerned about the digital sovereignty of nations and the negative effects of this monopolistic situation on equality. The debate about how to preserve privacy and copyright on the Internet shows that transferring our democratic civil rights from the physical into the digital sphere is not a given.
A free navigation and orientation in the web is currently not a given. Imagine someone giving you
a map of a city you don't know, showing you only the streets where the shops
are, or worse, the streets you have to pay a fee for using them. That’s actually
the current situation in the digital sphere. Because our web search is offered
by commercial players for profit purposes they base on algorithms, that are not
transparent to us. This interferes with our right of free movement that
is enabled in the physical environment.
Our existing web search infrastructure does not allow free information access
and creates inequalities. It comes with a commercially driven lens. A prominent
and well-known example of this is when you search for "Jaguar", the
car, not the animal, appears at the top of the list. Above it fosters market
inequalities. It privileges those marketers who have paid to be displayed in a
pool position in the search rankings, to the detriment of smaller marketers who
cannot afford it, that simply get not seen. As a result, our access to
information is distorted - we don't know why we're being shown what we're being
shown and, more importantly, what we're not being shown.
Reimagining web search as a public good is one idea to preserve democratic rights in the internet.
The Open Search
Foundation is among others one of the initiatives under the umbrella of EU
sponsorship that try to think about a free open web search infrastructure as a
public good. With a mission to help advance the technical, legal and social
conditions and consequences of such an open web search infrastructure.
A recent study shows that this idea offers economic benefits as well. A recent study initiated by OSF together
with partners, and conducted by OpenWebSearch.eu explores the potential impact
of establishing a European Open Web Index (OWI), an initiative that aims to
create an open, accessible, and European-focused search engine alternative. With
significant support from the European Union, the study highlights the project’s
macroeconomic and societal benefits and how it could positively reshape
European digital sovereignty and market competition. The summary of the study
results in a nutshell:
It could be a huge step towards equal, sustainable and fair digital markets. In my eyes the value of rethinking an open search infrastructure as public good goes far beyond building a search engine alternative. It's about reimagining our web infrastructure in a way that allows to realize the fundamental democratic right of information access and mobility in the digital age. Rethinking it as a public good, in a decentralised governance, is in my view an important experiment to build the foundations of a digital sphere and markets that preserve and not erode the civil democratic rights fought for by our ancestors.
Together, we can help cultivate a balanced, open and democratic internet ecosystem across Europe and ensure fair competition for generations to come - that's the mission of OSF, which of course everyone can help support - whether it's raising awareness of where our democratic civil rights are being violated in the digital sphere, or supporting our digital sovereignty by using European digital tools, or advocating for public investment in open digital infrastructure. If you are interested in learning more, follow OSF on LinkedIn or contact them over their webpage OSF.
