In this Policy Triangle, supported by Sitra, we unpack how social media algorithms shape political debate and young people’s engagement with democracy.

The discussion explores the rise of opinion‑led and engaging political content, the spread of material that sits in regulatory grey areas, and young users’ negative experiences with politics online. It also looks at the growing role of engagement-driven content in shaping opinions, emotions and civic participation.

Experts from Sitra, the European Parliament and CONNECT International debate whether tools such as the Digital Services Act, algorithmic transparency and stronger oversight can help rebuild trust and improve the quality of online political debate.

Continue the conversation and check out Sitra’s latest report “Algorithms and democracy – How social media shapes young Europeans’ worldviews”.