The politics of connectivity
- Digital divide, internet governance and cyberwar in the 2020s -

 Grafik_IPK
INTRODUCTORY
Presentation at introductory seminar

Summary of the seminar at a glance (flyer)

Photo of the group

Resources at: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) - WebMonitore Cybersicherheit und Digitalpolitik

A. Constituents

Actors levels:
a
1. The international level: ITU, ICANN and the global mega monopolies
|- Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025 Summary
|- Pérez Fernández, Daniel: "Restraining ICANN: An analysis of OFAC sanctions and their impact on the Internet
|- Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" in Telecommunications Policy, 2023
|- Sherman, Justin: "Russia’s War for Control of Global Internet Governance", 2022
a
2. The European level: EU
 |- European Commission (EU): Digital Networks Act 2026
|- Bendiek, Annegret; Stürzer, Isabella: "Die digitale Souveränität der EU ist umstritten" in SWP-Aktuell Nr. 30, 2022
 |- Lindseth, Peter L.: "Book review of ANU BRADFORD, THE BRUSSELS EFFECT: HOW THE EUROPEAN UNION RULES THE
|- WORLD" in Oxford University Press, 2020
|- Bradford, Anu: "The Brussels Effect" in Northwestern University Law Review Vol. 107, No. 1, 2012
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3. The national level: Germany
|- Andree, Martin: "Digital Monopolies—The Extent of Monopolization in Germany and the Implications for Media
|- Freedom and Democracy" in Social Sciences, 2025
|- OECD DIGITAL ECONOMY PAPERS No. 324: "ASSESSING NATIONAL DIGITAL STRATEGIES AND THEIR GOVERNANCE, 2022
|- Sahin, Kaan: "Außenpolitische Digitalstrategien - Internationale Erfahrungen, nationale Formate"
-| in SWP-Aktuell Nr. 27, 2022
Substantive elements:
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4. The medium: frequencies
|- OECD: "DEVELOPMENTS IN SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT FOR COMMUNICATION SERVICES" OECD digital economy papers
-| no.  332, 2022
|- Verduijn, Jan: "Spectrum Management Policy Principles and Objectives" at ITU Regional Training Workshop, 2019
|- Anker, Peter: "Radio spectrum management: from government to governance", 2018
|- Schrogl, Kai-Uwe: "grenzüberschreitender Satellitenfunk" S. 1- 9 in Lexikon des Rechts, 2004
a
5. The networks: critical infrastructures
|- Kytömaa, Eero; Pursiainen, Christer: "From European critical infrastructure protection to the resilience of  European
|- critical entities: what does it mean?" Seite 85-101 in SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE VOL. 8, NO. S1,
|- 2023
|- Bieling, Hans-Jürgen: "Galileo & Co - Zur Rolle der Europäischen Union als infrastrukturpolitischer Akteur"
|- ein Interview mit Kai-Uwe Schrogl Seite 30-34 in POLITIKUM, 2022
|- Keppeler, Lutz Martin; Lennartz, Markus; Poncza, Manuel: "Bundesnetzagentur schaltet 'Lex Huawei' scharf"
|- in UPDATE DATENSCHUTZ NR. 104, 2021
a
6. The economy: technologies, standardisation, markets
|- Connect Europe: "State of digital communications", 2026
|- OECD DIGITAL ECONOMY PAPERS No. 315: "BRIDGING CONNECTIVITY DIVIDES", 2021
|- Lenhard, Rainer: "Erfolgsfaktoren von Mergers & Acquisitions in der europäischen Telekommunikationsindustrie", 2009 
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7. The content: from prior consent to hate mails
|- Köhler, Paula; Voelsen, Daniel: "Content Moderation in autoritären Staaten" in SWP-Aktuell Nr. 39, 2022
|- Diverse Artikel zu "Überwachen" in Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte (bpb), 18-19/2014
|- Kittel, Gabriele: "Die Diskussion über eine Neue Weltinformations- und Kommunikationsordnung (NWIKO) in der
|- UNESCO und der ITU" S. 133-166 in Charakteristika internationaler Organisationen und Außenpolitikanalyse, 1997

 Policy issues:
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8. Security: technological and economic dependency, cyber security and cyberwar
|- Bendiek, Annegret; Bund, Jakob: "Paradigmenwechsel in der europäischen Cyberabwehr" in SWP-Aktuell Nr. 49, 2023
|- Albornoz, Mariana Salazar: Presentation "IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY - INTERNATIONAL LAW AND STATE CYBER
|- OPERATIONS", 2021
|- Ziolkowski, Katharina: "Peacetime regime for state activities in cyberspace", 2013
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9. Sustainability: does connectivity serve sustainability and is it sustainable itself?
|- Frappart, Fabien: "Telecom & ESG: impact, opportunities, and challenges" in Ostrum Asset Management, 2023
|- Betts, Thomas: "Sustainable Internet: Reducing theEnvironmental Impact" ein Interview mit Cathleen Berger
|- in InfoQ, 2022
|- Becker, William; Domínguez-Torreiro, Marcos; Neves, Ana Rita; Saisana, Michaela; Tacão Moura, Carlos: "Exploring the
|- link between Asia and Europe connectivity and sustainable development" in Research in Globalization 3, 2021
|- Stupple-Harris, Louis; Elliott, Hessy; Droemann, Markus; Bego, Katja: "INTERNET OF WASTE: THE CASE FOR A GREEN
|- DIGITAL ECONOMY" in NGI Forward, 2020
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10. Power: the digital divide, in Europe and globally
|- Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI): "The Digital Divide: A Barrier to Social, Economic and Political
|- Equity", 2025
|- Muller, Charlie; de Vasconcelos Aguiar, João Paulo: "What Is the Digital Divide?" on internetsociety.org, 2022
|- Neumann, Julia: "Bridging the digital divide", S. 13-22 in Studies in Air and Space Law, Volume 30, 2012


B. Theoretical approaches
 
11. Regime theory and Network theory
 |- Pohle, Julia; Voelsen, Daniel: "Centrality and power. The struggle over the techno‐political configuration of the Internet
|- and the global digital order" Seite 13-27 in Policy & Internet No. 14, 2021
|- Cowhey, Peter F.: "The International Telecommunications Regime: The Political Roots of Regimes for High Technology"
|- S. 169-199 in International Organization 2/1990
a
12. Rational design
|- Burkert, Herbert: "Some comments in the Institutionalization of the Net: ITU or ICANN, is there an ideal solution?"
|- Seite 91-98 in Normative Experience in Internet Politics, 2012
|- Koremenos, Barbara; Lipson, Charles; Snidal, Duncan: "The Rational Design of International Institutions” S. 761-799
|- in International Organization, 2001
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13. Regulatory theory and International political economy theory
|- Schneider, Etienne: "Germany’s Industrial strategy 2030, EU competition policy and the Crisis of New Constitutionalism.
|- (Geo-)political economy of a contested paradigm shift" 241-258 in New Political Economy, 28:2, 2022
|- Fetzer, Thomas: "Regulierungstheoretische Grundlagen" S. 37-71 in Staat und Wettbewerb in dynamischen Märkten,
|- 2013


C. Project
 

A secure and equitable order on the national and global level for the issue area of connectivity.

Pope Leo XIV: "Magnifica Humanitas" an encyclical letter on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence, on www.vatican.va, June 2026
Lee, Kevin: "The Pope is not a post-liberal: On Magnifica Humanitas, John Paul II, and the personalist common good", 2026
Nishant, Niket; Saini, Manya: "SpaceX IPO makes Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire", on www.reuters.com
Rennolds, Nathan: "Wake-up call': Europe reacts to Anthropic halting access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models", on www.euronews.com


Presentations of the seminar "The politics of connectivity"

  1. The international level: ITU, ICANN and the global mega monopolies
    Author: Hubbard, Jessica

  2. The European level: EU
    Authors: Brod, Florian; Semerák, Svea

  3. The national level: Germany
    Author: Clifton, Benedict
  1. The medium: frequencies
    Author: Yeh, Chi-Ni

  2. The networks: critical infrastructure
    Author: Cho, Eunseong

  3. The economy: technologies, standardisation, markets
    Author: Adzishvili, Mariam

  4. The content: from prior consent to hate mails
    Author: Bock, Lea
  1. Security: technological and economic dependency, cyber security and cyberwar
    Author: Hong, Si Ying Teresa

  2. Sustainability: does connectivity serve sustainability and is it sustainable itself?
    Author: Kindl

  3. Power: the digital divide, in Europe and globally
    Author: Freund, Daniel
  1. Regime theory and Network theory
    Author: Adel Dzulkarnaen, Noshin

  2. Rational design
    Authors: Aliya, Saidula; Zhang, Jinyu

  3. Regulatory theory and International political economy theory
    Author: Sen, Emily