The central objective of the CNSC is to analyse the most relevant social and political challenges in the context of digital communications and digitalisation, such as growing inequalities and social discrimination and the transformations of democracy. Furthermore, a key objective is to transfer our knowledge to civil society and institutions to contribute to transforming these inequalities, discriminations and emerging socio-political crises.

The group develops three lines of research: 

(1) Digital Societies; 

(2) Democracy and Technopolitics; 

(3) Datafication and AI. 

The Digital Societies line seeks to accumulate empirical evidence on the digital practices of older people, contribute to theorising the intersection between ageing and digitalisation, study digital divides and stereotypes about older people in relation to digital technologies, and inform policymakers and society accordingly. 

The Democracy and Technopolitics line studies emerging technopolitical forms, digital infrastructures (participatory platforms, social networks), local participatory processes, digital online participation, hybrid democratic innovations and how they contribute to the democratic improvement and sociopolitical inclusion. It also analyses the uses and effects of digitalisation on political parties and the deliberative public sphere. 

The Datafication and Artificial Intelligence line studies the implications for democratic rights and the discrimination of AI systems and mass data collection. It also examines the alternative and democratic resistances from civil society and the public sector to dominant AI.