Foundations of Restorative Digital Governance

This unit surveys the historical development and current structure of online platforms—from Web1 and Web2 to emerging Web3—focusing on surveillance capitalism, monopolistic practices, and regulatory failures. Students will assess the promises and risks of alternative economic and governance models (conscious capitalism, regenerative/renewable analogies, restoration networking) and begin designing privacy-minded governance prototypes to prepare for deeper policy design and implementation in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the historical emergence of surveillance capitalism and monopolistic consolidation by identifying and explaining at least five specific business practices and their social, economic, or political consequences
• Evaluate the effectiveness of existing regulatory and market responses (e.g., fines, litigation, PR, lobbying) and compare them with alternative frameworks such as conscious capitalism and restorative economic models to determine strengths and limitations
• Compare Web1, Web2, and Web3 architectures and assess the potential benefits and risks of Web3-based social media reforms by identifying at least three technical or governance trade-offs related to privacy, moderation, and competition
• Design a preliminary restoration-networking governance plan (1–2 page policy brief) that includes privacy protections, an outline of wallet-based incentives, a user advisory board role, and functions for a Restoration Networking Institute to be refined in later units