OeNB-Jubiläumsfonds

The OeNB-Jubiläumsfonds project focuses on the broad and highly relevant topic of online platform liability. Liability is one of the most powerful means through which civil society and governments can induce online platforms to develop innovative services in a responsible and sustainable manner. Nonetheless, it is a highly controversial area of law with a wide variety of opinions on how much can be expected of platforms, the extent to which technology can be relied upon to achieve content moderation, and the potential for well-intentioned reforms to infringe on fundamental rights. The project focuses on key areas of online platform liability including copyright protection, consumer rights, hate speech and defamation. Jurisdictions around the world find themselves simultaneously faced with identical challenges in this area, often leading to diverging regulatory approaches. As such, the project takes a multi-jurisdictional approach, with a particular focus on developments in Austria, Germany and the European Union. The aim of the project will be to analyse the current state of the law regarding online platform liability and inform the policy debate over its future, by proposing unique and well-researched suggestions.