Platform Capitalism and the State: Between a New Balance of Power and Geopolitical Competition

The advent of digitization has significantly changed how we live and work, and information society services - especially intermediate services - have become crucial components of our everyday lives. Platform capitalism, which is characterized by the dominance of major digital platforms that have substantial influence across different sectors, has emerged as a result of this digital transition. The widespread impact of these platforms raises serious concerns about their societal ramifications, especially in relation to individual rights, democratic governance, and geopolitical competition. This phenomenon has given rise to the term "state platform capitalism”, where governments increasingly leverage dominant digital platforms for their own political and economic agendas. Aspects of this phenomenon have been examined in the literature to date, but there are still significant gaps in the extant research. Specifically, further research is required to fully comprehend how platform capitalism impacts public speech, accountability, and participation as well as how the power of digital platforms interacts with democratic processes. A small number of dominant digital platforms strongly affects international politics, data sovereignty, and technological competition. Additionally, given the growing competition between China and the United States in the digital sphere and the regulatory role of European Union, the geopolitical implications of platform capitalism demand further scholarly attention. The purpose of this paper is to fill the literature gaps by carefully examining the complex interactions between platform capitalism and the State. With this aim, and applying a qualitative methodology, this work: first, analyzes the state of the art; second, proposes a definition and identifies the challenges of the platform infrastructural power; third, discusses the main models of the relationship between dominant platforms and the State. Eventually, further research paths are suggested.