Digital Democracy and Social Responsibility: New Challenges for the Public Sphere in the Age of Algorithms Digital democracy is a concept that goes beyond electronic voting. It is an ecosystem of practices and technologies designed to enhance citizen participation in decision-making, increase government transparency, and stimulate collective action to address public issues. Its connection with social responsibility is dialectical: digital tools can both expand opportunities for responsible civic behavior and create new risks for the public sphere. Success depends on overcoming key contradictions between inclusiveness and efficiency, transparency and security, horizontality and manipulation. 1. Toolset of Digital Democracy: From E-Voting to Crowdsourcing Modern practices can be classified by levels of engagement: Informational transparency (basic level): Open data portals (data.gov, data.gov.uk), online broadcasts of parliamentary sessions. This is the foundation for responsible civic control. For example, the "State Spending" project in Russia aggregates data on government contracts, allowing journalists and activists to identify violations. Consultative participation: Online platforms for public discussions of draft laws (such as "ROI" — Russian Public Initiative, or "Decide Madrid" in Spain). The first challenge here is the low entry barrier, which leads to a quantity over quality issue. Comments are often emotional rather than constructive. Moderation algorithms intended to filter spam and toxicity become the subject of disputes over censorship. Joint decision-making (crowdsourcing): The most advanced level. City platforms like "Active Citizen" in Moscow or "Better Reykjavik" in Iceland allow residents to propose and vote on ideas for urban improvement. Successful initiatives receive budget funding. This is an example of direct social responsibility at the local level. However, the risk is "tyranny of the active minority" — decisions are made by the most motivate ... Read more