Platform Capitalism, Platform Cooperativism, and the Commons

This essay explores the potential for transitioning from platform capitalism to a commons-oriented postcapitalist ethical economy. Platform capitalism is an "updated" version of capitalism advanced by online software platforms. Trebor Scholz juxtaposes platform cooperativism with platform capitalism, aiming to outdo the latter by means of communal ownership, democratic governance, and the equitable distribution of value. Bauwens and Kostakis criticize platform cooperativism as insufficient insofar as it operates under a closed copyright system. They argue instead for incorporating platform cooperativism into a broader model of open cooperativism, premised on the principles of commons-based peer production. The essay concludes with a critical appraisal of Bauwens and Kostakis's model of open cooperativism.