Marisol on Prosumer Co-ops

What if Facebook was owned collectively by all its users?

The rise of social media has enabled all Internet users to easily build communities online, to produce and consume (=prosume) content, to share stories, images or videos with friends and stangers – so why not create social media platforms where users can not only share information but also ownership and decision power?

Image Credit: Lídia Pereira, Immaterial Labour Union Zine

Such shared social media platforms could for example be organised as prosumer co-operatives that adapt and revive ideas and principles of the more traditional consumer and producer co-operatives. Membership in the co-op would be open to all Internet users. But how could such a co-operative be funded? How would the decision making process be organised? How would it make sure to remain open, co-operative and inclusive?

Marisol Sandoval explored these and other questions in her recent talk on Prosumer Co-operative and the Prospects of Truly Social Media at the 5^th ICTs and Society Conference earlier this month in Vienna.

In addition, Marisol has recently also contributed a short piece about Prosumer Co-ops to the 3^rd edition of the Immaterial Labour Union Zine, which can be found here.