The examination of the role of the state in the broader context of socio-technical entanglement within data governance has received less attention due to the emergence of other powerful corporate actors (e.g. Big Tech). This thesis utilizes quantitative content analysis to investigate and compare how state agencies (the White House, FTC, Congress) and CNN framed data governance in 2022, focusing on the role of the state amid growing data privacy concerns following the Roe v. Wade overruling. The ultimate aim is to pinpoint the sociotechnical imaginaries that gain traction, having a constitutive effect on the US data governance order. Empirical results indicate that framings between the two units rather align than differ, particularly in the wake of the overruling. The evidence points to the active and multiple roles of the state and the coexistence of multiple sociotechnical imaginaries within asymmetric power dynamics, with the vision of ensuring consumer trust rising as prominent at the expense of viewing data privacy as a sovereign right of citizens. Despite the emerging perspective of viewing data privacy as a right, CNN, as a significant place of mediation, has amplified rather than challenged the market-based approach. Lastly, evidence indicates that media is not only a significant place for elevating certain sociotechnical imaginaries but could be considered one of the crucial places of initially discursively negotiated policymaking.

This essay explores the early experiences of Bangladeshi blue-collar service workers in digitalising their livelihoods. It is a qualitative study that surveys and interviews service-providers in Dhaka who use the business aggregator platform Sheba.xyz, an online service marketplace, and seeks to understand what brought these self-employed micro-entrepreneurs, previously outside the digital economy, to adopt an ICT-enabled solution. The study is guided by Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, one of the historically dominant paradigms in the field of communication for development (C4D). The overarching research question is, “Why did blue-collar service-providers in Dhaka adopt and use a digital business aggregator platform?” The aim is to explore what motivated/discouraged and enabled/hindered innovation adoption among a group of users previously marginalised from digital and financial inclusion. The findings suggest that adoption of Sheba.xyz among service-providers was not driven so much by a desire to digitalise one’s business per se, and as a means of mitigating a previous inability to do so. Rather, the factors that emerge from the qualitative data are other perceived relative advantages of the solution – of increase in customers, income, and opportunity. Survey respondents and interviewees also displayed strong affiliation with, and trust in, the platform provider; an alertness for fair treatment; and a drive to prosper, suggesting that they embraced a comprehensive concept and altered life situation where belonging, respect, and self-fulfilment matters, rather than narrowly adopted a new mobile application.

台灣大車隊股份有限公司 (Taiwan Taxi Corporation,簡稱台灣大車隊),為台灣民間第一家導入無線衛星派遣系統於2002年正式成立的計程車車隊,到2017年已是一個擁有17,000 名駕駛隊員的大企業,成功地創新了計程車派遣的經營模式。 在這十七年間,換過三個經營團隊,最後在林村田董事長經營下讓公司穩定下來並有盈餘。經營團隊接手後持續更新了早已建構完成之GPS衛星定位與PDA車機派遣系統。另外,更結合了空中排班、熱點候車點、多元化叫車服務與非現金消費系統,升級為平台經營架構。由多種面向匯集了電子技術、智慧手機雲端科技,不但有助於車輛的調度,提昇服務品質,也提昇了駕駛和乘客的安全性,增加了公司的競爭力。在此競爭激烈及節約能源的時期,台灣大車隊透過創新經營模式,持續檢討優缺點,迅速改善缺點,加強優點,增強正向迴路經營模式以創造利潤及業績,使企業持續成長。 前幾年面臨國內外叫車服務系統的挑戰時,如2013年6月Uber入台以及政府推行多元化計程車,台灣大車隊就已投入軟硬體研發和改善公司的作業流程以擴展計程車司機隊員規模、便利顧客、增加附屬營業收入、和流動資金的管理,以及電腦資訊自動化管理系統等多樣措施加強了利潤的成長。對外在環境變化的最新應變措施包括：叫車系統快速自動化、建構多元化叫車體系、增加車隊類型和功能、採取多種措施如手機APP電召,配上軟體記憶增加顧客黏著度、擴充平台經營層面,增加平台經營附加價值、綁定信用卡付費方式,建構出叫車平台營運成功的商業模式。 管理團隊認為所有的成功都基於重視隊友及顧客的價值,堅信：乘客即顧客、加盟隊員為家盟隊員,以增加人際溫暖度的心態來經營。使接觸到大車隊的人,都有得到照顧與或取得利潤的確幸。相對的,車隊營收亦可經由各個微小的服務利潤集結發揮為平台結構關聯性收益而得以實現。 / Taiwan Taxi Corporation Ltd. (Taiwan Taxi) is the first civilian taxi fleet which established a wireless satellite dispatch system in 2002. By 2017, it has succeeded in the innovating of business model for taxi dispatch, and become a large enterprise with 17,000 drivers. During seventeen years, replaced by three management teams, the revenue of Taiwan Taxi finally increasingly stabilized. At present, the manager team led by Lin Cun-Tian still constantly updating the already constructed GPS satellite positioning and PDA car dispatch system. By a variety of aspects for the integration of electronic technology, smart phone cloud technology, this platform not only helps the vehicle scheduling and improves service quality, but also enhance driving and passenger safety which increase their competitiveness. In the period of severe competition and energy conservation, Taiwan Taxi has continually reviewed the advantages and disadvantages through the innovative business model they built. Manager team quickly improves the shortcomings, enhance the advantages, so that a positive loop to create profits and performance can operate and make the enterprises continue to grow. Facing the challenges of domestic and foreign call systems, such as Uber and diversified taxi, Taiwan Taxi has developed new hardware and software research and has improved the operating process to expand their fleet of taxi drivers, facilitate customers since 2013, thus increased the subsidiary operating income, working capital management, and automize the computer management system to strengthen the growth of profits. The newly strategic approaches against external changes include: construct an on-line taxi system, a diversified taxi on call management containing mobile phone call, increase the fleet type and function. Other adoptions such as: memory of previous calls to increase customer stickiness, increase the running of additional function on platform, binding credit card payment, thus a successful business model upon taxi platform are constructed. Manager team believe: all the success is based on the values of teammates and customers, passengers are customers, and all the drivers joined are members of this family. They are happy to increase the warmth between the interpersonal through their management. As long as who contacts with Taiwan Taxi, will get a warm care and obtain profits of fortune. Synchronously, the revenue of cooperation can also be achieved through the combination of each profit margin for platform.

Die Arbeit befasst sich mit drei konkreten Problemstellungen digitaler Vermittlungsplattformen (Amazon, ebay, etc.) im allgemeinen Privatrecht: die Haftung für die Erfüllung des Vertrages zwischen Anbieter und Käufer; die Haftung für Integritätsschäden des Käufers, die durch das erworbene Produkt verursacht werden; und die Zulässigkeit von Selbstbegünstigungspraktiken der Plattform gegenüber den Anbietern. Dabei werden aus methodischer Perspektive von law and economics Voraussetzungen eines effizienten gesetzlichen Rahmens ermittelt. Dieser wird der aktuellen Gesetzeslage bzw. anstehenden gesetzlichen Reformvorhaben gegenübergestellt. Die erste Frage der Erfüllungshaftung stellt sich vor dem Hintergrund, dass Plattformen im Vermittlungsprozess zwischen Anbieter und Käufer eine aktive, steuernde Rolle spielen und damit auf die Erfüllung erheblichen Einfluss nehmen können. Gleichzeitig weisen die AGB der Plattform dieser keine Haftung zu, weil sie nicht Vertragspartei sei. Mit dieser vertraglichen Gestaltung will die Plattform auch einer Haftung für Integritätsschäden entgehen. Bei der Selbstbegünstigung schließlich tritt die Plattform selbst als Anbieter auf. Mit ihrer Doppelrolle als Anbieter und Marktorganisator kann sie andere Anbieter besonders lukrativer Produkte von der Plattform ausschließen und selbst an deren Stelle treten. Trotz ihrer vermeintlichen Schiedsrichterrolle greift die Plattform damit in das Marktgeschehen ein und leitet die Gewinnaussichten mancher Anbieter auf sich selbst um. Die ökonomische Analyse legt für das allgemeine Privatrecht nahe, dass – anders als marktbeherrschende oder gatekeeper Plattformen – „normale“ Plattformen nicht mit zwingendem Recht reguliert werden sollten, sondern vielmehr Transparenzregeln der zielführende Ansatz sind. Diese sind bereits im geltenden Privatrecht im Wesentlichen vorhanden. / This thesis deals with three private law problems of digital intermediary platforms (amazon, ebay, etc.): liability for the fulfilment of the seller-buyer-contract; liability for damages caused by the purchased product; and the legitimacy of self-preferencing practices of the platform against the sellers. Using the methodology of law and economics, an efficient legal framework for these phenomena is identified. The current legal situation and projects of legal reform are reflected on the basis of these normative results. The first question whether platforms should be liable for the fulfilment of the seller-buyer-contract is discussed against the background that platforms play an active, controlling role in the matching process between seller and buyer and can thus influence fulfilment. In contrast, the platforms’ terms 2 3 and conditions consider the platform not a party to the contract and thus not liable. With its terms the platform tries to evade product liability, too. Finally, in the case of self-preferencing, the platform itself acts as a seller. With its dual role as seller and market organiser, it can exclude sellers of particularly lucrative products from the platform and itself take their place. Despite its supposed role as referee, the platform intervenes in its own market and diverts the profit prospects of some sellers to itself. Economic analysis of general private law suggests that – unlike market dominating or gatekeeper platforms – “normal” platforms and their contractual framework should not be regulated with mandatory rules. Rather, rules of transparency prove to be expedient. In essence, such rules are already existing in current private law.