Global Constitutionalism and the Internet
The Global Constitutionalism and the Internet research group focuses on new legal and institutional approaches to transnational and global governance for a digital society. The group aims at translating widely accepted constitutional principles such as human dignity, fundamental rights and freedoms, democracy and participation, separation of powers and the rule of law into specific institutional arrangements that can claim legitimacy on different political levels.
In view of the increasing need for effective regulation of the internet as a global infrastructure for communication and control – i.e. for regulation beyond the state, not limited to but especially in the areas of the environment, security and trade – the group is seeking new approaches to the legal construction of processes and institutions in which human rights and democratic legitimation form the basis for a normative framework for the various forms of governance.
Global constitutionalism is to be understood as a normative theory that places the individual, not state structures, at its centre and sees generally accepted constitutional principles such as human dignity, freedom and equality rights, democracy and participation, the separation of powers and the rule of law as inviolable values in the increasingly dense world of politics. Relations between people at the global level and the legal framework will be explored. The aim is to “translate” these principles into democratic legitimised decision-making processes at the various political levels. The internet could play a significant role in this. This potential needs to be explored – but so do the risks associated with the use of information technologies – in order to understand the necessary normative consequences.
Global Constitutionalism and the Internet
In the Global Constitutionalism and the Internet research group, we investigate how technologies contribute to the formation of norms beyond the state and deal with the question of how these processes can be reconstructed from the perspective of constitutionalism theories. We address questions from the fields of data protection, cyber security and public administration that extend beyond their application cases from a both a transdisciplinary and a legal point of view. We focus in particular on the following questions:
 | The individualCan we think of different orders from the individual? What shifts result if we focus on the individual in the governance of the Internet or the reform of administration? |
 | Global negotiation processHow are the new global orders that will shape life in the world being negotiated? How does unity and diversity emerge in areas such as data protection or IT and cyber security? |
 | Digital constitutionWhat does a constitution mean in a “digital constellation”? What are the principles behind digital technologies such as the Internet? |
Further research programmes
Politics and law · Society and cultureCybersecurity
With critical infrastructure becoming increasingly networked and the number of networked sensors and other objects of everyday use in the Internet of Things growing...
Politics and law · Society and cultureThe Public International Law of the Internet
The rapid development of the Internet and the increasing digitalisation of everyday life is raising new legal questions across the world: Which (state?) law...
Media and data · Politics and lawGlobal Privacy Governance
In the age of the Internet, in the wake of new challenges from increased network connection, new data generation and collection, new analytical techniques...
Politics and law · Society and cultureThe Digital Administrative State
Current discussions on the Internet's impact on public administration and on public institutions in general have centred around the notion of e-government. Our research...
Politics and law · Society and cultureDigital Civil Disobedience
The political phenomenon of civil disobedience has undergone a remarkable change in recent times, with the expression electronic civil disobedience coming into being in...
Christian Djeffal, Professor Dr.Associated researcher: Digital Public Administration
Ingolf Pernice, Prof. Dr. Dr.Research Director
Jörg Pohle, Dr.Co-Head of Research Programme: Actors, Data and Infrastructures
Julian HölzelAssociate Researcher: Data, actors, infrastructures
Kai GärtnerProject manager: DECiDe & Head of IT
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Gaby WaltonIntern: The evolving digital society -
Henrike Maier, Dr.Former associated Researcher: Innovation & Entrepreneurship -
Konstantinos TsakiliotisFormer Student Assistant: The evolving digital society
Books
Pohle, J. (2018). Datenschutz und Technikgestaltung: Geschichte und Theorie des Datenschutzes aus informatischer Sicht und Folgerungen für die Technikgestaltung. Berlin, Germany: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Publication details
Journal articles and conference proceedings
Pernice, I. (2018). Risk Management in the Digital Constellation – A Constitutional Perspective (part II). Revista de Internet, Derecho y Política (IDP)(27), 79-95. Publication details
Djeffal, C. (2018). Künstliche Intelligenz in der Öffentlichen Verwaltung. Berichte des Nationalen E-Government Kompetenzzentrums, 3. Publication details
Edited works
Pernice, I., & Pohle, J. (2018). Privacy and Cyber Security on the Books and on the Ground. Berlin, Germany: Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society. Publication details
Papadopoulou, L., Pernice, I., & Weiler, J. H. H. (Eds.) (2018). Legitimacy Issues of the European Union in the Face of Crisis: Dimitris Tsatsos in memoriam, 2. edition., 2. unedited Baden-Baden: Nomos. Publication details
Papadopoulou, L., Pernice, I., & Weiler, J. H. H. (Eds.) (2017). Legitimacy Issues of the European Union in the Face of Crisis: Dimitris Tsatsos in memoriam. Baden-Baden: Nomos. Publication details
Book contributions and chapters
Pohle, J. (2016). Die kategoriale Trennung zwischen ‘öffentlich’ und ‘privat’ ist durch die Digitalisierung aller Lebensbereiche überholt: Über einen bislang ignorierten Paradigmenwechsel in der Datenschutzdebatte. In Plöse, M., Fritsche, T., Kuhn, M., & Lüders, S. (Eds.), Worüber reden wir eigentlich? – Festgabe für Rosemarie Will (pp. 612-625). Berlin: Humanistische Union. Publication details
Pernice, I. (2015). Das Völkerrecht des Netzes. Konstitutionelle Elemente eines globalen Rechtsrahmens für das Internet. In Biaggini, G., Diggelmann, O., & Kaufmann, C. (Ed), Polis und Kosmopolis: Festschrift für Daniel Thürer. Zürich/St. Gallen, Switzerland: DIKE/ Nomos. Publication details
Pernice, I. (2014). Die Verfassung der Internetgesellschaft. In A. Blankenagel, Den Verfassungsstaat nachdenken (pp. 171-208). Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. Publication details
Pernice, I. (2013). Die Politik und die Internet-Gesellschaft. In Franzius, C. et al (Eds.), Beharren. Bewegen. Festschrift für Michael Kloepfer zum 70. Geburtstag (pp. 102-118). Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. Publication details
Lectures and presentations
Strategien globaler Cyber(sicherheits-)Politik – ein transatlantischer VergleichRecht und Sicherheit im digitalen Raum – wer macht was im föderalen System? (Session: Außenperspektiven). Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Villa la Collina, Griante, Italy: 22.08.2019
Ingolf Pernice
Future of Law and GovernmentFuture of Law (Session: Sustainable AI Development). Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany: 29.11.2018 Further information
Christian Djeffal
Künstliche Intelligenz und Automatisierung in der Sozialverwaltung – Chance oder Risiko?Tag der kommunalen Jobcenter 2018 (Session: Herausforderungen meistern – Digitalisierung voranbringen). Benchlearning der Optionskommunen. Ellington Hotel, Berlin, Germany: 26.11.2018 Further information
Christian Djeffal
Überholt die Technik das Recht oder lässt sich die Digitalisierung der Verwaltung rechtlich einhegen?Jahrestagung 2018 der Deutschen Sektion des Internationalen Instituts für Verwaltungswissenschaften (Session: Die Verwaltung und ihr Recht). Deutsche Sektion des Internationalen Instituts für Verwaltungswissenschaften. Bundesverwaltungsgericht, Leipzig, Germany: 23.11.2018 Further information
Christian Djeffal
Gute künstliche Intelligenz gestaltenCitrix Technology Exchange (Session: Vision Track). Citrix. World Conference Center, Bonn, Germany: 19.11.2018 Further information
Christian Djeffal
Technik in Grenzen? Welche Rahmenbedingungen müssten wir setzen, damit aus KI „gute“ KI wird?Herbsttagung (Session: Künstliche Intelligenz). Think Tank 30 Deutschland. Humboldt Universität, Berlin, Germany: 17.11.2018 Further information
Christian Djeffal
Mehr Menschlichkeit durch künstliche Intelligenz?E-Government Summit. Vogel-IT. Wartburg, Eisenach, Deutschland: 15.11.2018 Further information
Christian Djeffal
Risk Management in the Digital Society - A Constitutional PerspectiveManaging risk in the digital society: Internet, Law & Politics (Session: Panel on Privacy & Data Protection). Law and Political Science Studies - Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Cosmocaixa, Barcelona, Spain: 30.06.2017
Ingolf Pernice
Panels
5G, IoT and AI - Addressing Digital Inclusion and AccessibilityInternet Governance Forum 2018. Internet Governance Forum of the United Nations. UNESCO Headquaters, Paris, Frankreich: 14.11.2018 Further information
Christian Djeffal
Streitgespräch zum Für und Wider von Künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) und ihrem Einsatz in der EntwicklungszusammenarbeitDigital Kontrovers. Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Repräsentanz der GIZ, Berlin, Germany: 12.11.2018 Further information
Christian Djeffal
Organisation of events
Fake News, Online disinformation and democratic processes in Europe11.01.2019. Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft, Berlin, Germany. Co-Organised by: Centre international de formation européenne (CIFE) (International) Further information
Jacek Wiland, Konstantinos Tsakiliotis, Kai Gärtner, Ingolf Pernice
Völkerrecht des Netzes08.09.2014. Walter-Hallstein Institut, Berlin, Germany. Co-Organised by: Office of Foreign Affairs (National)
Emma Peters, Adrian Haase, Osvaldo Saldías, Ingolf Pernice