Dr. Judit Bayer: Exploring the World Wide Web from the Legal Side

Hi, my name is Judit Bayer. I was born and lived in Budapest, Hungary, and now I live in Münster. My research has focused on how new media technology effected the boundaries of freedom of expression. I have combined my legal research with how mass communication impacts societies, and their political processes. I find it thrilling to witness how the web of human society is being restructured in front of our eyes! Global platform communication makes new network relationships emerge and reduces the importance of old ones.

In the frames of the WIRE project I will explore the constitutional background behind the latest regulation of online communicative actions through platforms. Online platforms occupy a crucial space between speakers (or providers of content) and audience. They aggregate and organise information, and practically they make content selection decisions on behalf of their users. Platforms decide what should get more publicity and what should get suppressed. My research question is: where should the limits of platforms’ freedom to govern the public discourse lie? Who should be in charge of defining these priorities, or supervising platforms’ content management?

Fun fact: I like to take inspiration from other disciplines and art, such as natural sciences, psychology, and literature.