The document discusses the need for a democratic, scalable, and sustainable digital future. It suggests that digital diversity is possible but fragile. Research shows that routing performance can be improved by using multiple networks simultaneously if they exhibit geometric correlations between node coordinates. Incentives like "Social Bitcoin" could sustain a diverse, decentralized digital world by rewarding users for routing information. The goal is for self-organization of the digital world to create a desirable future with robust digital diversity and efficient search/navigation.

1. @KoljaKleinebergkajkoljakleineberg@gmail.com
Towards a
democratic, scalable, and sustainable
digital future
Kaj Kolja Kleineberg

2. When I was 13 years old...

3. 56k modem
... I got my first

4. now, less than 2 decades later...

5. online social network users
2+ billion
internet users
3+ billion

6. networked devices by 2020
50 billion

7. could lead to
Collective Intelligence

8. but also to
Monopolies of Information

9. vision of our digital future.
We need a
democratic,
scalable,
sustainable

10. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Self-organization of the digital world can
create and sustain a desirable digital futurePartFocus
Democratic Scalable Sustainable
Digital diversity
(no monopolies)
Efficient search
and navigation
Robust/resilient to
perturbations
Decentralization
(people in control)
Only rely on
local knowledge
Ability to recover
from losses
Digital ecology Geometry of
multiplexes
Social Bitcoin
incentive
10

11. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Self-organization of the digital world can
create and sustain a desirable digital futurePartFocus
Democratic Scalable Sustainable
Digital diversity
(no monopolies)
Efficient search
and navigation
Robust/resilient to
perturbations
Decentralization
(people in control)
Only rely on
local knowledge
Ability to recover
from losses
Digital ecology Geometry of
multiplexes
Social Bitcoin
incentive
10

12. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Self-organization of the digital world can
create and sustain a desirable digital futurePartFocus
Democratic Scalable Sustainable
Digital diversity
(no monopolies)
Efficient search
and navigation
Robust/resilient to
perturbations
Decentralization
(people in control)
Only rely on
local knowledge
Ability to recover
from losses
Digital ecology Geometry of
multiplexes
Social Bitcoin
incentive
10

13. Digital ecology: is digital diversity
possible?

14. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Evolution of isolated online social networks unfolds
on top of underlying social structure
Online social
network layer
Traditional contact
network layer
Active
Online & offline
Passive
Online & offline
Susceptible
Only offline
Mass media activation Viral activation
Deactivation Viral reactivation
12

15. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Digital ecosystem is formed by multiple networks
competing for the attention of individuals
OSN 2
OSN 1
Underl.
network
Active
Passive
Susceptible
Partial
states}
Virality share
distribution
between OSNs
λi = ωi(ρa)λ
Rich-get-richer
more active
networks obtain
higher share
Here: ωi = [ρa
i ]σ/
∑
j[ρa
j]σ
σ: activity affinity
13

16. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Digital ecosystem is formed by multiple networks
competing for the attention of individuals
OSN 2
OSN 1
Underl.
network
Active
Passive
Susceptible
Partial
states}
Virality share
distribution
between OSNs
λi = ωi(ρa)λ
Rich-get-richer
more active
networks obtain
higher share
Here: ωi = [ρa
i ]σ/
∑
j[ρa
j]σ
σ: activity affinity
Does rich-get-richer effect always lead to the
domination of a single network?
13

17. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Coexistence is possible in a certain parameter region
despite the rich-get-richer mechanism
Stable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
σ
ρ1,2
a
14

18. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Coexistence is possible in a certain parameter region
despite the rich-get-richer mechanism
Stable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
σ
ρ1,2
a
Coexistence
despite rich-get-richer
14

19. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Coexistence is possible in a certain parameter region
despite the rich-get-richer mechanism
Stable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
σ
ρ1,2
a
Coexistence
despite rich-get-richer
Digital diversity
is fragile
14

20. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
A democratic, scalable, and sustainable digital future:
Digital diversity is possible but fragile
to route
strategy
Optimizes
Incentive
Sustains
digital diversity
Increases routing
performance
Social Bitcoin
+ReputationStable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
ρ1
a
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
0.50
0.75
σ
σ
ρ1,2
a
FrameworkResultFocus
Democratic
PRX 4, 031046
Sci. Rep. 5, 10268
Sci. Rep. 6, 25116
Scalable Sustainable
Is digital diversity
possible?
Search and navigation
with local knowledge
Incentives sustain diverse
decentralized digital world
Network evolution &
competition
Geometric correlations,
mutual greedy routing
Digital diversity is
possible but fragile
Routing perfected by
using many networks
Digital diversity becomes
robust & routing improves
Refs
Nature Physics
doi:10.1038/nphys3812
arXiv:1604.08168
Social Bitcoins as incen-
tive to route information
15

21. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
A democratic, scalable, and sustainable digital future:
Digital diversity is possible but fragile
to route
strategy
Optimizes
Incentive
Sustains
digital diversity
Increases routing
performance
Social Bitcoin
+ReputationStable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
ρ1
a
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
0.50
0.75
σ
σ
ρ1,2
a
FrameworkResultFocus
Democratic
PRX 4, 031046
Sci. Rep. 5, 10268
Sci. Rep. 6, 25116
Scalable Sustainable
Is digital diversity
possible?
Search and navigation
with local knowledge
Incentives sustain diverse
decentralized digital world
Network evolution &
competition
Geometric correlations,
mutual greedy routing
Digital diversity is
possible but fragile
Routing perfected by
using many networks
Digital diversity becomes
robust & routing improves
Refs
Nature Physics
doi:10.1038/nphys3812
arXiv:1604.08168
Social Bitcoins as incen-
tive to route information
Scalable
15

22. Geometric correlations in real
multiplexes:
scalable and efficient navigation

23. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Hidden metric spaces underlying real complex networks
provide a fundamental explanation of their observed topologies
Nature Physics 5, 74–80 (2008)
17

24. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Hidden metric spaces underlying real complex networks
provide a fundamental explanation of their observed topologies
We can infer the coordinates of nodes embedded in
hidden metric spaces.
17

25. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Constituent network layers of real multiplex systems
are embedded separately into hidden hyperbolic space
Internet IPv4 network Internet IPv6 network
18

26. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Constituent network layers of real multiplex systems
are embedded separately into hidden hyperbolic space
Internet IPv4 network Internet IPv6 network
Are coordinates of same nodes in different layers
correlated?
18

27. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Radial and angular coordinates are correlated
between different layers in many real multiplexes
0
π
2 π
θ1
0
π
2 π
θ2
50
100
150
200
19

28. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Radial and angular coordinates are correlated
between different layers in many real multiplexes
0
π
2 π
θ1
0
π
2 π
θ2
50
100
150
200
How do discovered geometric correlations affect
search and navigation with local knowledge?
19

29. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Mutual greedy routing allows efficient navigation
using several network layers with only local knowledge
Forward message
to contact closest
to target in metric
space
Messages switch
layers if contact has
a closer neighbor in
another layer
Delivery fails
if message runs into
a loop (define
success rate P)
20

30. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Geometric correlations determine the improvement of
mutual greedy routing by increasing the number of layers
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
Hyperbolic routing
0.980
0.985
0.990
0.995
P
1 2 3 4
0
2
4
6
Layers
Mitigationfactor
opt. correlated
uncorrelated
Angular correlations
Radialcorrelations
Reduction of failure rate
21

31. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Geometric correlations determine the improvement of
mutual greedy routing by increasing the number of layers
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
Hyperbolic routing
0.980
0.985
0.990
0.995
P
1 2 3 4
0
2
4
6
Layers
Mitigationfactor
opt. correlated
uncorrelated
Angular correlations
Radialcorrelations
Reduction of failure rate
Routing is perfected by using many networks
simultaneously if correlations are present.
21

32. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
A democratic, scalable, and sustainable digital future:
Diversity improves performance of search and navigation
to route
strategy
Optimizes
Incentive
Sustains
digital diversity
Increases routing
performance
Social Bitcoin
+ReputationStable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
ρ1
a
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
0.50
0.75
σ
σ
ρ1,2
a
FrameworkResultFocus
Democratic
PRX 4, 031046
Sci. Rep. 5, 10268
Sci. Rep. 6, 25116
Scalable Sustainable
Is digital diversity
possible?
Search and navigation
with local knowledge
Incentives sustain diverse
decentralized digital world
Network evolution &
competition
Geometric correlations,
mutual greedy routing
Digital diversity is
possible but fragile
Routing perfected by
using many networks
Digital diversity becomes
robust & routing improves
Refs
Nature Physics
doi:10.1038/nphys3812
arXiv:1604.08168
Social Bitcoins as incen-
tive to route information
22

33. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
A democratic, scalable, and sustainable digital future:
Diversity improves performance of search and navigation
to route
strategy
Optimizes
Incentive
Sustains
digital diversity
Increases routing
performance
Social Bitcoin
+ReputationStable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
ρ1
a
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
0.50
0.75
σ
σ
ρ1,2
a
FrameworkResultFocus
Democratic
PRX 4, 031046
Sci. Rep. 5, 10268
Sci. Rep. 6, 25116
Scalable Sustainable
Is digital diversity
possible?
Search and navigation
with local knowledge
Incentives sustain diverse
decentralized digital world
Network evolution &
competition
Geometric correlations,
mutual greedy routing
Digital diversity is
possible but fragile
Routing perfected by
using many networks
Digital diversity becomes
robust & routing improves
Refs
Nature Physics
doi:10.1038/nphys3812
arXiv:1604.08168
Social Bitcoins as incen-
tive to route information
22

34. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
A democratic, scalable, and sustainable digital future:
Diversity improves performance of search and navigation
to route
strategy
Optimizes
Incentive
Sustains
digital diversity
Increases routing
performance
Social Bitcoin
+ReputationStable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
ρ1
a
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
0.50
0.75
σ
σ
ρ1,2
a
FrameworkResultFocus
Democratic
PRX 4, 031046
Sci. Rep. 5, 10268
Sci. Rep. 6, 25116
Scalable Sustainable
Is digital diversity
possible?
Search and navigation
with local knowledge
Incentives sustain diverse
decentralized digital world
Network evolution &
competition
Geometric correlations,
mutual greedy routing
Digital diversity is
possible but fragile
Routing perfected by
using many networks
Digital diversity becomes
robust & routing improves
Refs
Nature Physics
doi:10.1038/nphys3812
arXiv:1604.08168
Social Bitcoins as incen-
tive to route information
Sustainable
22

35. Could a »Social Bitcoin« sustain a
democratic digital world?

36. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Cryptocurrency »Social Bitcoins« are mined
by users performing routing in the Internet
Individuals
perform routing
instead of service
providers
Routing
information is
rewarded by Social
Bitcoins
Payoff
depends on routing
success &
reputation
24

37. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Incentive to mine Social Bitcoins causes tendency
to be active in several networks simultaneously
Qualified Money
t
o
route
activein
m
any networks
Optim
izes strategy:
Inc
entive
Sustains
digital dive
rsity
Increasesro
uting
perform
a
nce
Exchangeable
Social Bitcoin
+Reputation
25

38. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Tendency to be active in several networks simultaneously
influences distribution of attention between networks
Virality share
distribution
between OSNs
λi = ωi(ρa)λ
Rich-get-richer
more active
networks obtain
higher share
Social Bitcoins
tendency to use
several networks
simultaneously
ωi(ρa
) =
[ρa
i ]σ
∑nl
j=1
[
ρa
j
]σ
rich-get-richer
+ ξ(⟨ρa
⟩ − ρa
i )
Social Bitcoin incentive
ξ proportional to price of Social Bitcoins
26

39. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
Social Bitcoin incentive can make digital diversity robust
but only if its value is sufficiently high
ξ = 0.2 ξ = 1.0
Stable
Unstable
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
σ
ρ1,2
a
Unstable FP
Stable FP
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
ρ1
a
ρ2
a
σ=0.75
Unstable FP
Stable FP
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
ρ1
a
ρ2
a
σ=1.5
Stable
Unstable
1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
σ
ρ1,2
a
Unstable FP
Stable FP
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
ρ1
a
ρ2
a
σ=1.75
Unstable FP
Stable FP
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
ρ1
a
ρ2
a
σ=2.5
27

40. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
A democratic, scalable, and sustainable digital future:
Multidimensional incentives could lead to sustainability
to route
strategy
Optimizes
Incentive
Sustains
digital diversity
Increases routing
performance
Social Bitcoin
+ReputationStable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
ρ1
a
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
0.50
0.75
σ
σ
ρ1,2
a
FrameworkResultFocus
Democratic
PRX 4, 031046
Sci. Rep. 5, 10268
Sci. Rep. 6, 25116
Scalable Sustainable
Is digital diversity
possible?
Search and navigation
with local knowledge
Incentives sustain diverse
decentralized digital world
Network evolution &
competition
Geometric correlations,
mutual greedy routing
Digital diversity is
possible but fragile
Routing perfected by
using many networks
Digital diversity becomes
robust & routing improves
Refs
Nature Physics
doi:10.1038/nphys3812
arXiv:1604.08168
Social Bitcoins as incen-
tive to route information
28

41. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
A democratic, scalable, and sustainable digital future:
Multidimensional incentives could lead to sustainability
to route
strategy
Optimizes
Incentive
Sustains
digital diversity
Increases routing
performance
Social Bitcoin
+ReputationStable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
ρ1
a
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
0.50
0.75
σ
σ
ρ1,2
a
FrameworkResultFocus
Democratic
PRX 4, 031046
Sci. Rep. 5, 10268
Sci. Rep. 6, 25116
Scalable Sustainable
Is digital diversity
possible?
Search and navigation
with local knowledge
Incentives sustain diverse
decentralized digital world
Network evolution &
competition
Geometric correlations,
mutual greedy routing
Digital diversity is
possible but fragile
Routing perfected by
using many networks
Digital diversity becomes
robust & routing improves
Refs
Nature Physics
doi:10.1038/nphys3812
arXiv:1604.08168
Social Bitcoins as incen-
tive to route information
28

42. We need a Democratic (diverse) Scalable (decentralized) Sustainable (robust) Digital Future
A democratic, scalable, and sustainable digital future:
Multidimensional incentives could lead to sustainability
to route
strategy
Optimizes
Incentive
Sustains
digital diversity
Increases routing
performance
Social Bitcoin
+ReputationStable
Unstable
0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
Bifurcation diagram
ρ1
a
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
0.50
0.75
σ
σ
ρ1,2
a
FrameworkResultFocus
Democratic
PRX 4, 031046
Sci. Rep. 5, 10268
Sci. Rep. 6, 25116
Scalable Sustainable
Is digital diversity
possible?
Search and navigation
with local knowledge
Incentives sustain diverse
decentralized digital world
Network evolution &
competition
Geometric correlations,
mutual greedy routing
Digital diversity is
possible but fragile
Routing perfected by
using many networks
Digital diversity becomes
robust & routing improves
Refs
Nature Physics
doi:10.1038/nphys3812
arXiv:1604.08168
Social Bitcoins as incen-
tive to route information
28

43. Take home message

44. vision of our digital future.
We need a
democratic,
scalable,
sustainable

45. Make it happen!
Digital diversity, decentralization,
and multidimensional incentives
can lead to a democratic, scalable,
sustainableand digital future.

46. Thank you!
Kaj Kolja Kleineberg:
• kajkoljakleineberg@gmail.com
• @KoljaKleineberg
• koljakleineberg.wordpress.com

47. Evolution of the Digital Society reveals Balance between Mass
Media and Viral Influence
Physical Review X (4) 031046
K.-K. Kleineberg, M. Boguña
Digital Ecology: Coexistence and Domination among Interacting
Networks
Sci. Rep. 5, 10268
K.-K. Kleineberg, M. Boguña
Competition between global and local online social networks
Sci. Rep. 6, 25116
K.-K. Kleineberg, M. Boguña
Hidden geometric correlations in real multiplex networks
Nature Physics, doi: 10.1038/NPHYS3782, URL: rdcu.be/i9iO
K.-K. Kleineberg, M. Boguñá, M. A. Serrano, F. Papadopoulos
A »Social Bitcoin« could sustain a democratic digital world
arXiv:1604.08168 or ssrn.com/abstract=2771326
K.-K. Kleineberg, D. Helbing

48. M. Boguñá, M. A. Serrano, F. Papadopoulos
Collaborators:

49. Credits:
In the Distance: Angus MacRae
Obsolete hardware David
Hayward
Cables: jerry john
Surveillance: Jon Olav Eikenes
Team icon: Joshua Jones
Compass: Creative Stall
Bitcoin: Mourad Mokrane, RU
Megaphone: Alex Auda Samora
Biohazard: Shailendra Chouhan
Money: Lemon Liu
Layer icon: Mentaltoy
Loop: useiconic.com
Connected: Muharrem Fevzi
Çelik
Multi-dimensional incentive:
Gregor rešnar
Reputation stars: Guilhem
Internet router: Thomas Uebe
Individual: lastspark
Flower: Nishanth Jois

50. Let's keep in touch!
Kaj Kolja Kleineberg:
• kajkoljakleineberg@gmail.com
• @KoljaKleineberg
• koljakleineberg.wordpress.com