The Düsseldorf Institute for Internet and Democracy (DIID) researches the interactions between digitalization and democracy. Our focus is on the question of how digital technologies - especially the internet and data-driven systems - influence political participation, public discourse and democratic decision-making processes.

The digital transformation opens up new opportunities for participation, changes communication spaces and poses new challenges to established democratic mechanisms. At DIID, we analyze these developments, investigate both opportunities and risks and develop scientifically sound concepts for the active design of digital communication and participation spaces.

Our research is inter- and transdisciplinary: Researchers from various disciplines (including computer science, communication science, political science, law, sociology and economics) come together under the DIID umbrella to work on research projects. In close cooperation with practitioners, we rely on transdisciplinary approaches to transfer scientific findings into social application contexts.

A central aspect of our work is the influence of digital technologies on public opinion formation and political discourse. Algorithmic systems and artificial intelligence are playing an increasingly important role here - be it in the moderation of online discussions, the personalization of political content or the detection of disinformation. We are investigating how these technologies can be used, regulated and further developed in order to strengthen democratic processes and curb abuse.

Our aim is to provide scientifically sound impetus for the democratic design of digital spaces. Through empirical research, application-oriented development and direct exchange with practitioners, we contribute to combining digital innovations and social requirements.

With its official foundation on July 21, 2016, the DIID began its work as a central scientific institution at Heinrich Heine University. The structure and organization of the DIID are regulated in the institute's statutes. The governing body is the Executive Board, which is elected for two years. A team of spokespersons, currently comprising Marc Ziegele and his deputies Stefan Conrad and Tobias Escher, is responsible for managing the institute. The DIID is also supported and advised by an advisory board. The operational team of the DIID consists of DIID coordinator Dennis Frieß, the elected spokespersons, as well as the administration and research assistants (organization chart)