INCA Final Event: Big Tech Politics

From 20 to 22 January, the INCA Final Event will take place in Brussels at the Emilia-Romagna Region Delegation. The event will bring together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to present the results of three years of rigorous empirical research conducted across multiple European contexts by the INCA project. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how Big Tech companies shape European society.

As the project approaches its conclusion in March 2026, the INCA Final Event offers a unique opportunity to consolidate and share the main insights generated on the political, economic, and social power of Big Tech and digital platforms, and to discuss the implications of this power for European digital governance.

The programme includes sessions on topics such as European citizens’ perceptions of digital platforms and the ways media narratives shape public understanding. Another block will focus on the political influence of GAFAM corporations, covering lobbying, regulatory interactions, and the implementation of EU digital legislation. The agenda also examines labour relations in platform work, highlighting findings on algorithmic management, industrial relations, and regulatory challenges. Finally, the event will explore how platform organisations can be improved, discussing alternative governance models, codes of conduct, and action-oriented research approaches.

The event will also host the launch of the Big Tech Watch Think Tank, signalling INCA’s commitment to sustained critical engagement beyond the lifespan of the project. For more information about the Final Event, you can read the editorial written by the project coordinator Edoardo Mollona (University of Bologna) and Marco Palma (SUPSI) and consult the full programme attached below.