The Platformization of Everything: From the End of the Like Button to AI Infrastructure in Space

Over ten years ago I coined the term ‘platformization’ (2015) to understand how platforms expand beyond their own boundaries in Social Media + Society. Editor Zizi Papacharissi invited me, along others, to celebrate the journal’s 10 years’ anniversary by reflecting on a decade of platformization. The Platformization of Everything: From the End of the Like… Read more The Platformization of Everything: From the End of the Like Button to AI Infrastructure in Space

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App ecosystem analysis

A new book chapter by Fernando van der Vlist, Anne Helmond and Esther Weltevrede in The Routledge Companion to Mobile Media (edited by Gerard Goggin and Larissa Hjorth, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003166016-38. This chapter introduces methods for analysing app ecosystems, emphasizing that apps are not stand-alone entities but exist within larger ecosystems. It outlines three approaches: apps “for… Read more App ecosystem analysis

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De verborgen wereld achter AI (Rathenau Podcast)

Fernando van der Vlist (Universiteit van Amsterdam) en ik waren te gast in de Verrekijkers-podcast van het Rathenau Instituut, waar we spraken over wat we tegenwoordig “AI” noemen. AI is in feite een complex ecosysteem van digitale én fysieke componenten – een zogeheten “AI stack” – waarvan we via populaire interfaces zoals ChatGPT slechts het… Read more De verborgen wereld achter AI (Rathenau Podcast)

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Governing the Digital Society: Platforms, Artificial Intelligence, and Public Values

We have a new edited Open Access book out with Amsterdam University Press: José van Dijck, Karin van Es, Anne Helmond, and Fernando van der Vlist (eds) (2025) Governing the Digital Society: Platforms, Artificial Intelligence, and Public Values. Amsterdam University Press. It features 15 chapters from excellent researchers from our interdisciplinary research focus area Governing… Read more Governing the Digital Society: Platforms, Artificial Intelligence, and Public Values

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Platform: A Tapestry of Meanings and Metaphors

A new book chapter by Anne Helmond and Fernando van der Vlist in  Digital Media Metaphors (edited by Johan Farkas and Marcus Maloney), http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781032674612-4 This chapter explores the metaphorical ‘tapestry’ of meanings woven into the ‘platform’ metaphor, tracing its journey from a technical term in the computing sphere to a central concept in digital media.… Read more Platform: A Tapestry of Meanings and Metaphors

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