MediaLaws is pleased to share the Call for Abstracts for the Early Career Platform Regulation Conference entitled “Online Platforms: Private Actors with State-like Power?”, which will take place on 21–22 May 2026 at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law.
The conference is organised by the Max Planck Institute and aims to provide a forum for early career researchers to critically examine the growing societal influence of online platforms. In light of the increasing concentration of legislative, executive, and adjudicative functions exercised by major digital actors – such as Meta, Google, X, and TikTok – the conference explores how platforms increasingly perform roles traditionally associated with the state.
Through keynote lectures, panel sessions, and in-depth discussions, the conference will address the exercise of state-like powers by online platforms and its legal, constitutional, and societal implications. The organisers welcome contributions engaging with any relevant aspect of platform power, including – but not limited to – EU law. Submissions may also draw on national or international legal frameworks, policy-oriented perspectives, and theoretical or doctrinal approaches.
Submission Guidelines
The organisers particularly encourage submissions from current PhD candidates.
Applicants are invited to submit an abstract of no more than 600 words in PDF format by 19 December 2025. Abstracts should be sent to:
Please use the subject line: “Early Career Platform Regulation Conference 2026”.
For further details, please consult the conference website.
