Barcelona Quest for Data Sovereignty
The Decidim platform embodied Barcelona's commitment to technological sovereignty, offering a model for participatory democracy that extends beyond traditional software boundaries by engaging a broad societal spectrum, challenging centralised, profit-driven digital infrastructures.
In recent years, Barcelona has emerged as a leading city in redefining the relationship between technology, data, and citizenship. Influenced by activists and the 15M/Indignados movement, it seeks to prioritise citizens' control over digital infrastructures. Under the guidance of Barcelona en Comú and Francesca Bria, its approach to digital public infrastructure marked a radical shift from traditional models dominated by large technology corporations. The city's strategy, deeply rooted in the concept of data commons, emphasises the city as a fundamental right and a collective asset rather than merely a commercial place to provide services.
By prioritising citizen involvement, open-source software, and the ethical use of data, Barcelona is not only challenging the status quo of data management and technological sovereignty, but is also setting a new standard for how cities worldwide can leverage technology for social and economic innovation, sustainable development, and enhanced democratic participation, thus confronting digital capitalism.
Decidim: A Digital Infrastructure for Technopolitical Democratization:
The flagship project of Barcelona's technological sovereignty agenda is Decidim, a digital platform for participatory democracy. Launched by the city council, it serves as a participatory democracy software facilitating hybrid online and offline democratic processes. Developed in open-source, the software is now used by over a million users worldwide. Its ambition extends beyond the limitations of conventional closed or proprietary software models and even surpasses the open-source paradigm by inviting participation from a broad spectrum of society, including those without technical expertise. This approach positions Decidim as a counterforce to the centralised, corporate-dominated infrastructure that underpins capitalist social networks and digital platforms.
Experimenting with and Scaling Up the Public-Common
By framing data as a common good, Barcelona challenged the dominant paradigm of data as a commodity to be exploited for profit and put forward a model where the control and benefits of data were distributed among citizens. This is how Barcelona's city council embarked on an initiative, envisioned as a "New Social Pact on Data," that sought to recognise data as a fundamental asset for the city. The initiative aimed to foster a more informed, innovative, and democratic urban environment, thereby enhancing public services and empowering citizens. Parallel to this, the city undertook measures to cultivate an open technological ecosystem that would bolster a digital economy rooted in social solidarity and common values, notably through platform cooperativism. This included a fund to support the development of open, privacy-conscious, and socially impactful technologies and infrastructures.
Furthermore, this Digital Social Innovation program was designed to foster collaboration between the City Council and an expansive network of around 3,000 small businesses and cooperatives, demonstrating Barcelona's commitment to an alternative model to that of digital capitalism which is inclusive, cooperative, and ethically grounded.
Coalition of Cities for Digital Rights
Driven by its commitment to a broader state-wide and international municipalist ethos, Barcelona sought to connect with cities worldwide under a shared vision for digital governance. This vision led to the creation of the "Cities for Digital Rights" initiative, a collaborative network that includes cities like Amsterdam, Berlin, and São Paulo. The network's mission focuses on safeguarding digital rights across both local and international arenas, advocating for a collective approach to democracy in the digital age and tackling common challenges such as the impacts of digital platform dominance and environmental concerns.
Public Infrastructure and Algorithmic Systems
Plataforma DD is another pioneering open-source educational platform developed collaboratively by Xnet, the City of Barcelona, and the Barcelona Education Consortium. Launched in response to the growing need for digital education, it prioritises transparency, data sovereignty, and ethical use of technology. It also represents a pioneering approach to education that actively challenges the norms of digital capitalism through its commitment to digital public infrastructure. By utilising auditable and open-source software, it also ensures that the handling of student data is transparent, accountable and safeguarded, directly countering the often opaque practices of digital capitalism, in particular in the EdTech sector, that obscure data management and use. Equally, by offering a user experience on par with mainstream platforms, Plataforma DD dismantles the notion that alternatives to commercial software must sacrifice usability or functionality. This approach democratises access to high-quality educational tools, making advanced digital learning accessible to all, without the compromises typically demanded by proprietary platforms.
Incorporating a legal framework is another innovative aspect of Plataforma DD, providing educational institutions with the necessary guidance to navigate the complex landscape of digital rights. This ensures that the adoption of new technologies does not come at the expense of the expropriation of the data of students, teachers and families. Furthermore, the platform's expansion, supported by the City of Barcelona, into additional municipal facilities like libraries and civic centres for broader educational activities, underscores the role of municipal support in fostering educational innovation. This expansion not only broadens the platform's reach but also reinforces the idea that public institutions can and should play a central role in developing digital public infrastructure that serves the community's educational needs while upholding non-capitalist values in the digital age.
Hamburg's Urban Data Initiative
In Hamburg, the Urban Data Challenge initiative and The New Hanse collaboration have paved the way for transformative urban development through innovative use of digital data. The Urban Data Challenge encourages open collaboration and shared resources to enhance sustainable urban growth, moving beyond traditional data hoarding. Similarly, The New Hanse, in partnership with Hamburg's civic bodies, focuses on leveraging urban digital infrastructures for public good, with pilot projects that address real-world challenges like mobility data management. These initiatives not only aim to improve life in Hamburg but also serve as blueprints for other European cities, demonstrating the potential of a citizen-centered, digitally advanced, and environmentally conscious urban future.
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Jorge Franganillo
In the quest to navigate and counteract the forces of digital capitalism within urban realms, cities are increasingly turning towards cybernetic approaches that emphasise sustainability, communal governance, and the democratisation of digital resources. This evolving narrative underscores the potency of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Digital Public Goods (DPG), and digital commons in constructing ecosystems that not only challenge the capitalist model but also promote sustainable urban development.
The Hamburg Urban Data Initiative serves as a beacon for cities aiming to resist the encroachments of digital capitalism by championing the communal management of urban data. By positioning micro-mobility data as a public good, the initiative showcases how shared data can significantly enhance urban mobility, environmental sustainability, and inform comprehensive public policy. This commitment to treating data as a collective resource is a critical step towards realising sustainable urban planning and development. Moreover, the initiative's emphasis on collaboration over competition marks a departure from the profit-driven motives that often underpin digital capitalism, thus maximising communal benefit.
Fostering Collaboration Over Competition
The Urban Data Challenge, a cornerstone of the initiative, cultivates an environment of open collaboration and mutual learning T. By encouraging diverse stakeholders to share knowledge and resources, the initiative moved beyond the zero-sum game of data hoarding. It also underscores the importance of a unified technical vocabulary, a comprehensive data-sharing grammar, and the development of a use case repository. Such tools are critical for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of future data-sharing projects. They serve not only to streamline the process of data sharing but also to embed the values of collective problem-solving and innovation in the pursuit of sustainable urban development.
Plataforma Digital del Sector Público Nacional in Argentina
The Plataforma Digital del Sector Público Nacional (National Public Sector Digital Platform) embodies a strategic move by the Argentine State towards creating a digital public infrastructure that veers away from the capitalistic tendencies of data commodification, aiming instead to prioritise public welfare and accessibility. As an all-encompassing management tool, it integrated various governmental services, fostering a more cohesive and user-friendly experience for citizens.
In Argentina, the integration of digital public infrastructure with material technological assets was exemplified by the strategic role of ARSAT, a public company that owns an impressive array of physical digital infrastructure, including two data centres, three satellites, a submarine cable, and 44,000 kilometres of fibre optic network. This expansive and robust physical infrastructure forms the backbone of the country's digital landscape, providing the essential connectivity and data management capabilities that underpin the operation of digital platforms like the Plataforma Digital del Sector Público Nacional.
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Attribution: Casa Rosada (Argentina Presidency of the Nation)
This integration not only enhances the reliability and reach of digital services across the nation but also reaffirms the importance of leveraging state-owned digital assets to serve public interests, setting a compelling precedent for the alignment of physical and digital public infrastructures as a counterbalance to digital capitalism.
Integration with Welfare Services and Ethical Governance
This platform stands as a model of interoperability, seamlessly connecting with public applications. This interoperability not only facilitates a unified digital government framework but also underscores the former Argentine government's dedication to creating an inclusive digital ecosystem. By facilitating a robust digital identity and data retrieval system, it ensures that personal and demographic information serves to enhance citizen interactions with public services, rather than to commodify personal data. This aligns with the ethical considerations necessary for Digital Public Infrastructures as an alternative to digital capitalism, where the focus remains steadfastly on improving public welfare and maintaining the material conditions of citizens.
The platform also stands as a testament to the values of egalitarianism and universalism characteristic of welfare state ideals. It offers a freely accessible interface that simplifies interactions with government services, and democratises access to information and public services, ensuring that digital advancements benefit all citizens equally.
Countering Digital Alienation Through Participation
The Plataforma Digital del Sector Público Nacional counters the phenomenon of digital resignation — the passive acceptance of digital services without critical engagement — by actively involving citizens in the digital ecosystem. Its design, focusing on user-friendliness, invites active participation and fosters a sense of ownership and trust in digital public services. This platform distinguishes itself by offering free access and a user-friendly interface, ensuring all citizens can easily navigate through various government services.
The Open Food Network (OFN)
Open cooperativism champions a model of digital ownership and governance that is inclusive, community-focused, and aligned with ethical market practices. This approach not only challenges the dominant neoliberal economic frameworks but also offers a blueprint for creating digital ecosystems that serve the public good. It emphasises open protocols, supply chains, and licensing to ensure transparency, fairness, and accessibility in digital and agricultural sectors. In this sense, with 7000+ producers in 20 countries worldwide, The Open Food Network represents a pioneering initiative in leveraging digital commons for agricultural advancement. By establishing Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs), OFN embodies a practical application of open cooperativism, contributing to a significant systemic shift in agriculture.
Technical and Operational Insights
Economic Model Evolution: OFN illustrates the potential evolution of economic models within the digital age, adopting a framework that integrates commons-based peer production, ethical market entities, and supportive state partnerships.
Open Cooperativism Model: By embracing open protocols, supply chains, and bookkeeping, alongside copyfair licensing and a localised manufacturing approach, OFN also sets a precedent for transparent and inclusive economic practices.
Unlike digital capitalist models that prioritise profit maximisation, OFN emphasises eco-socialist principles such as sustainability, equity, and community welfare, positioning itself against the commodification of nature and digital spaces. Also, by decentralising the food supply chain, OFN not only challenges the centralization typical of digital capitalism but also democratises access to the market, empowering small-scale producers and consumers to participate directly in the economy. Its model fosters environmental sustainability by promoting local food systems, reducing carbon footprints, and challenging the global supply chains that dominate digital capitalism and contribute significantly to ecological degradation.
Other pioneering case-studies
Challenging Centralised Control through Democratic Governance Platforms:
Initiatives like Pub Hubs and Decidim represent a direct challenge to the monopolistic tendencies of digital capitalism by promoting open digital spaces and participatory democracy. These platforms decentralise digital governance, allowing community-driven dialogue and decision-making, thus undermining the centralization of power typical in digital capitalist models. Liquid Feedback and Pol.is are other innovations in democratic participation and consensus-building that challenge centralised decision-making processes by leveraging technology for more inclusive governance.
Securing Identity and Data Sovereignty Against Surveillance Capitalism:
Platforms like BrightID and D-CEN offer solutions to the pervasive surveillance and commodification of personal data in digital capitalism. By providing secure, verifiable identity services, these initiatives reclaim privacy and identity as public goods, not commodities.
Decentralizing Communication and Data Storage:
Tools like Matrix and Syncthing represent a move towards decentralised communication and storage solutions, directly opposing the centralization of data storage and management seen in digital capitalist enterprises. These technologies empower users to control their data and communication, fostering a more equitable digital landscape. Matrix, Rocket Chat, Jami, Tox, and Jitsi also offer alternatives to mainstream communication platforms, emphasising privacy, open-source development, and community governance.
Enhancing Public Welfare with Open Data and Public Service Media:
The transformation in Norway’s digital prowess, through platforms like Altinn (a government digital services platform) and initiatives for open data sharing, have set a precedent for using digital tools to enhance public services rather than for corporate gain. This approach challenges the data monopolies of digital capitalism by prioritising public access and utility over private profit.
Promoting Sustainable and Community-Centric Economies:
The Open Food Network and Coopcycle foster direct, sustainable connections between producers and consumers and prioritise local, cooperative business models over global e-commerce giants. DigitalTransport4Africa and Eusko support sustainable development and local economic resilience by providing alternatives to global financial systems and promoting local currencies.
Redefining Public Infrastructure with Digital Commons and Cooperative Models:
The embrace of digital payment systems like Pix and community-driven initiatives like the Smart Citizen Wallet in Bologna or the Mumbuca in Marica, Brazil, illustrate a broader move towards digital commons and cooperative models. These examples challenge the capitalist framework by promoting systems that prioritise social welfare, community engagement, and sustainable practices over profit.
Digital Platforms for Public Media and Cultural Heritage:
The Spanish Film Archive and digital initiatives by national libraries in France, Spain, and the Library of Congress in the U.S. modernise access to cultural heritage, advocating for public access to information and culture over proprietary restrictions.
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