ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that self-governance on platforms has allowed platforms the freedom to sideline their ‘collective’ aspects and for-profit platforms to focus on contractually delineating their relations and responsibilities vis-à-vis users in order to maximize platform owners’ private profits. Although not-for-profit and hybrid platforms adopt a different approach, recognizing the hierarchical aspects of their governance and introducing new governance and distributive norms to reflect the collective property of the platform, we consider the regulation of platform governance to be timely and to bring about a more level playing field. There is scope to consider regulating platforms as distinct legal entities, and this new organizational framing paves the way for reconceptualization of platform property, governance and distribution. Such regulation would provide for platforms to engage in co-regulation processes, ensuring pluralism and inclusivity in governance design, and to be governed according to certain fundamental principles.
