Types of Platform Transparency: An Analysis of Discourse Around Transparency and Global Digital Platforms

Abstract

Over the last decade, the companies behind major digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, etc., have risen to unprecedented power. Society, in the meanwhile, is still grappling with how to regulate them. One of the main challenges to effectively regulate digital platforms is the lack of available information about how they operate and what impact they have on society. Transparency measures have been hailed by many as a possible remedy to address this information asymmetry, but proponents of transparency often fall short of specifying what transparency means in the practice of digital platforms and how it can be implemented. This paper aims to bring conceptual clarity to the conversation around platform transparency. It contextualizes the debate in the existing literature, identifies key features of the discourse, and locates these features on a typology matrix. The goal is to delineate the core dimensions of the debate to encourage more nuanced and effective transparency policies. The paper argues that transparency is necessary to enhance public understanding of platforms, make platforms more accountable, and inform better regulation.