Co-organized with Christoph Sorg (HU Berlin) and Nils Rochowicz (TU Chemnitz). Part of “Socialization in Theory and Practice” Research Project led by Jacob Blumenfeld and Rabea Berfelde
Topic
In this workshop, Cecilia Rikap will join us to discuss the problems and prospect of socializing big tech monopolies and reclaiming digital sovereignty. The goal is to both understand the monopoly power of big tech and learn how to fight against it. With big tech companies openly embracing reactionary politics in the USA and elsewhere, a window of opportunity is opening to rethink digital futures beyond monopoly power. What does a democratic alternative to big tech look like, and what steps can be made to build it? What role should the public sector play, and which infrastructures are needed for this project? Is socialisation of the digital means of production possible? We will discuss these questions and others in a small and focused setting. For background, please read the jointly authored report from December 2024: Reclaiming Digital Sovereignty.
Cecilia Rikap
Cecilia Rikap is the head of research of the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, and Associate Professor at University College London (UCL). She is one of the leading critics of Big Tech and how these companies act as intellectual monopolies, appropriating rents from ecosystems of research and development. Her recent book published with Routledge is Capitalism, Power and Innovation: Intellectual Monopoly Capitalism Uncovered. She has also worked on corporate planning of global production and innovation systems, and the relationship between tech giants and the state. Her new book with Verso will be forthcoming in November 2025.