Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Background and Aim: The platform economy has emerged as a significant force reshaping capitalist political systems through power concentration and data monopolization. This study aims to examine the systemic impact of platform enterprises on political democracy, focusing on how technological dominance and network effects transform traditional democratic mechanisms. Materials and Methods: The research employs an interdisciplinary approach combining legal analysis and Marxist political economy perspectives to examine platform power concentration, data monopolization, and their effects on democratic participation. The study analyzes algorithmic governance, information filtering systems, and their impact on public opinion formation. Results: The analysis reveals that platform enterprises have acquired unprecedented political influence through: (1) market monopolies enabled by technological dominance; (2) control over public opinion through algorithmic governance; (3) data monopolization creating severe information asymmetries; and (4) establishment of new production relations through data control, fundamentally altering political power distribution. Conclusion: Addressing democratic dysfunction in the platform economy era requires multi-tiered institutional innovations, including enhanced data protection laws, anti-monopoly measures, and transparent algorithm governance. A collaborative governance model involving diverse stakeholders is essential for balancing platform development with democratic values.
Author: Menglong Wang
Institution: Krirk University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412365676