Platforms as Political Actors

New @greenpillnet pod out today! 🌐

In this episode of the Network Nations mini-series, host Felix Beer is joined by Nick Srnicek (author of Platform Capitalism and Silicon Empires) and Sofia Cossar (BlockchainGov) to explore the emerging concept of Network Sovereignty.

They unpack how power is shifting from nation-states to digital networks, why platforms now function like political infrastructures, and how algorithms, protocols, and platforms increasingly shape governance, speech, and economic life. The conversation examines platform empires, AI infrastructure, state power, civil society strategies, Web3, cooperative platforms, and what it would take to reclaim networks as democratic commons rather than extractive systems.

A foundational episode for anyone trying to understand sovereignty, power, and governance in a networked world.

🌱 greenpill.network 🌐 networknations.network @owocki @greenpillnet https://x.com/nsrnicek?lang=en https://x.com/CossarSofia

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to the Network Nations mini-series 01:30 – What are Network Nations? 02:10 – Introducing today's topic: Network Sovereignty 02:45 – Guests: Nick Srnicek & Sofia Cossar 04:30 – Living in the network age 05:35 – Platforms as infrastructures, not just tools 07:40 – Is there an "outside" to the network? 09:45 – Modulating participation instead of exiting 11:10 – Platform capitalism & concentrated power 13:30 – From markets to empires: platforms as political actors 15:55 – Rule-making, enforcement & taxation by platforms 18:15 – AI, data centers & physical infrastructure power 20:20 – States vs platforms: dependency and conflict 22:20 – Civil society as a third force 24:30 – Three strategies for reclaiming network power 26:25 – Data centers, environment & local resistance 28:25 – Open-source AI & alternative pathways 30:30 – Workers, AI & political leverage 32:40 – What is Network Sovereignty? 35:00 – People, space & governance in network entities 37:15 – Historical examples of network sovereigns 39:05 – Platform empires vs network communities 41:20 – States reasserting control over networks 43:35 – Civil society building its own infrastructure 45:55 – Web3: political potential and risks 48:20 – Exit vs entrance as a political problem 50:05 – Cooperative platforms as real alternatives 52:20 – Why states must support alternatives 54:25 – Accelerationism, work & political power 56:40 – Technology for liberation vs profit 59:05 – Organizing movements in platform-dominated spaces 01:00:50 – Projects and researchers to follow 01:02:30 – Closing thoughts & what's next