From 4–8 August 2025, several members of the Digital Constitutionalism Network participated in an interdisciplinary working group at the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS), examining global approaches to regulating online speech.

The workshop, titled “Social Media Regulation and Freedom of Speech: A Comparative Discourse Analysis of Germany, the USA, and Brazil”, brought together scholars working at the intersection of platform governance and discourse analysis. Focusing on Germany’s NetzDG framework, the United States’ Section 230 model and regulatory debates surrounding Brazil’s Marco Civil da Internet, the group explored how different legal cultures navigate tensions between state regulation and free speech traditions.

Using digital discourse analysis, participants compared national media narratives on platform regulation, identifying key stakeholders, arguments and communicative strategies. Particular attention was given to how historical and cultural contexts shape regulatory responses to challenges such as content moderation and platform accountability.

The workshop resulted in the establishment of the Cross-border Digital Policy Network (CDPN), as well as the drafting of a joint grant proposal and plans for international interdisciplinary teaching cooperation across European, North American and Brazilian institutions. A dedicated digital methods session also produced a structured mixed-methods research pipeline for analysing debates on internet policy.

DCN members involved in the initiative included Jens Pohlmann (UC Davis), Yasmin Curzi (University of Virginia / FGV Rio Law), and Dennis Redeker (University of Bremen).

Further information about the working group is available via CAIS.