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Moderating Digital Platforms
Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:30:56
Abstract
This course delves into the complex legal, social, and technical challenges of online content moderation. It encourages students from diverse technical and scientific disciplines to critically examine how platforms moderate content and reflect about their role as experts in their own disciplinary field within this crucial context.
Objective
This course is designed for students from various disciplines interested in the intersection of law, technology, and society, as well as law students seeking to broaden their understanding of content moderation beyond a purely legal perspective. It challenges students to reflect on the societal implications of technology and the application of their specific disciplinary knowledge in this complex domain. By working in an interdisciplinary setting, students will develop a deeper understanding of their potential roles and responsibilities as future innovators. Guest lecturers from industry, NGOs, academia, and regulatory bodies will ground the insights in real-world practice.
Content
The course examines how technical solutions for content moderation are not only embedded in a complex regulatory framework but also entail crucial societal implications. Students will first analyze how different regulatory approaches (EU rights-driven vs. US market-driven models) shape content moderation. We will then critically reflect on both (semi-)automated and manual moderation systems, evaluating their capabilities and limitations. Throughout, students will evaluate how platform moderation decisions influence digital rights and our society at large. The course culminates in a workshop where students will apply what they have learned during the course to craft a content moderation policy of a real or fictive platform based on their domain-specific knowledge. Course structure: • Content Moderation Foundations: Historical development and human rights considerations • Regulatory Frameworks: Comparing implementation challenges across different jurisdictions (EU vs. US) • Technical Implementations and Society: The social cost of AI and (semi-)automated vs. manual solutions • Economic and Business Perspectives: Balancing freedom of expression with brand safety (Trust and Safety teams) • Socio-Political Dimensions: How technical architectures influence societal norms, polarization, and the centralization of power • Applied Ethics: Analyzing complex cases including sensitive content such as online gender-based violence
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DS , DR
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 30
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Moderating Digital Platforms |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Wissenschaft im Kontext (Science in Perspective) (In Kursen aus dem Programm “Wissenschaft im Kontext” lernen Studierende, die MINT Fächer der ETH aus der Perspektive der Geistes-, Sozial- und Staatswissenschaften zu reflektieren. Nur die in diesem Abschnitt aufgelisteten Fächer können als "Wissenschaft im Kontext" angerechnet werden.)
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Typ A: Förderung allgemeiner Reflexionskompetenz (WiK-Kurse werden für Bachelorstudierende nach dem ersten Studienjahr sowie für alle Masterstudierende und Doktorierende empfohlen. Alle WiK-Kurse sind in Typ A gelistet. Bei den unter Typ B aufgeführten Kursen handelt es sich lediglich um Belegungsempfehlungen für bestimmte Departemente.)
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Typ B: Reflexion über fachspezifische Methoden und Inhalte (Fachspezifische Lerneinheiten. Relevant für alle Studierenden, die sich für diese Kurse interessieren. Diese Lerneinheiten sind alle auch unter "Typ A" aufgelistet, d.h. die Einschreibung ist allen Studierenden möglich.)
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Doktorat Geistes-, Sozial- und Staatswissenschaften (Mehr Informationen unter: )