In the Web of Unlimited Possibilities

Human coexistence today, designed by platforms made in the USA & China

Today, chats, stories and likes are a part of everyday life, because digital platforms bring us together in new ways. Whether through music, politics, gaming or fashion—platforms like TikTok, Instagram and WhatsApp offer endless possibilities for exchange and participation. They connect people, interests and ideas across continents and create virtual communities that are often just as important as those in the physical world. These interactions give rise to a whole new feeling of networking—as if friendship, inspiration and exchange could happen anywhere and at any time. Platforms satisfy people’s hunger for contact and belonging, creating the illusion of infinite opportunities in every area of our lives.

However, our digital connections are created primarily by platforms whose rules and algorithms are developed in the USA and China. Thus, our comfortable and therefore beloved means of communication often follow the designs and interests of global tech companies or autocrats. These digital superpowers then shape our everyday lives and influence the way we live together as a society—far beyond national borders. This makes the question even more urgent: do we really want to entrust our digital world to their interests—or do we in Germany and Europe want to find our own new ways of designing it?