The quantum state of the individual in platform governance: digital constitutionalism and global democratisation

This article explores the complex relationship between digital constitutionalism and democracy, focusing on how individuals navigate governance both as citizens of nation-states and as users of digital platforms. Drawing on the concept of quantum superposition, it argues that individuals exist simultaneously in multiple governance frameworks, influencing the legitimacy and democratic stability of both digital and national environments. It adopts a societal constitutional approach recognising digital platforms as transnational loci of power entangled with national constitutional systems. Within this scope, it investigates how digital constitutionalism intersects with the governance of and by platforms and advocates for a republican approach that better reflects the contingency and complexity of transnational governance environments. The argument is further corroborated by a quantitative analysis of the public comments submitted to Meta’s Oversight Board between 2020 and 2023, highlighting the asymmetries of users’ active engagement in content moderation practices and how this may impact the platform’s attempt to enlarge internal and external legitimacy and democratic politics.