PhD Conference on Platformization

Call for Papers: “Platformization of Society: Power, Participation and Social Transformation”

The international PhD conference “Platformization of Society: Power, Participation and Social Transformation” taking place on September 17–18, 2026 at the Institute for Advanced Studies Vienna, addresses the growing influence of digital platforms as central actors in shaping social, economic, cultural, and political processes and norms. From mobility and communication to intimate relationships and cultural production, platforms are deeply embedded in everyday social life. The conference focuses on how platformization – as an institutional transformation process – reshapes social infrastructures, practices, and inequality dynamics.

The two-day conference will feature multiple panel sessions where doctoral researchers can present and discuss their work and connect with colleagues. We invite early career researchers across disciplines to submit papers on the examining the interplay between platform governance, evolving norms and expectations, identities, labor relations, and their impact on inequalities.

Topics include but are not limited to:

• Platform governance and regulation
• Relationships between states and global platform companies
• Platforms as infrastructures (cloud, data, AI, app stores, payment services)
• Labor relations in the gig economy
• Platformized political communication and election campaigns
• Disinformation, platform power, and democratic erosion
• Digital futures and forms of online participation
• Digital activism and resistance within platformized environments
• Queer feminist and decolonial perspectives on digital platforms
• Algorithmic systems, interface logics and platform affordances
• Platformization of the arts, creative and cultural industries
• Community and identity formation on digital platforms
• Dating platforms and digital intimacy practices
• Influencer culture and the creator economy
• Social media and mental health

Keynote Speakers

Taina Bucher is Professor of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo and currently PI of the project “HumAIn: A Humanities Hub for the Reimagination of AI”. Her work explores the social and political dimensions of algorithms, focusing on how users experience and interpret algorithmic power. She is the author of “Facebook” (Polity, 2021) and “IF…THEN: Algorithmic Power and Politics” (Oxford University Press, 2018).

Anne Helmond is Associate Professor of Media, Data, and Society at Utrecht University and co-director of the research focus area “Governing the Digital Society”. Her research focuses on platformization, a term she coined to analyze how platforms expand across the web and mobile ecosystem, and more recently across AI and various societal domains. She is (co-)author/editor of “Platforms: A Critical Introduction” (Polity, 2026) and “Governing the Digital Society” (Amsterdam University Press, 2025).

Fernando van der Vlist is Assistant Professor of Critical Data and AI at the University of Amsterdam. He is PI of the NWO-funded project “AI Power: A Critical Platform Analysis” and co-director of the App Studies Initiative. His research examines digital platforms and apps, their ecosystems, data, and AI in culture and society. He is (co-)author/editor of “Platforms: A Critical Introduction” (Polity, 2026) and “Governing the Digital Society” (Amsterdam University Press, 2025).

Submission Guidelines

The conference is open to PhD students at any stage of their work. Abstracts should discuss the general aim of the research, the theoretical and methodological approaches used and (preliminary) results, if applicable. Submissions should include:

• Title
• Abstract of 300-500 words describing the proposed research
• Authors’ full name, institutional affiliation and email address
• Up to three keywords

Submission link: https://www.conftool.net/phd-platformization-2026/

Key Dates

Travel and Accommodation

Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodation.

Conference Fee

Accessibility

We are committed to making this conference accessible to all participants. If you have specific accessibility requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us at platformization@ihs.ac.at.

Organizing Committee

The junior research group “Digitalization and Social Transformation” at the Institute for Advanced Studies Vienna consists of Laura Wiesböck, Nuoyi Wang, Pauline Reitzer, and Irina Bănoiu. The group focuses on the social, economic, and cultural impacts of platformization. In its most recent project, “ADDICT – Addictive Design in Digital Consumer Technologies” funded by the Vienna Chamber of Labour, the group investigated addictive design strategies on digital platforms. Further information on their work is available via their Instagram account @Digitranslab.

Cooperation

The conference takes place in cooperation with the Vienna Chamber of Labour.