Strengthening democracy through human-centred digitalisation

As the EU steps up efforts to protect democratic values in a rapidly changing digital landscape, the upcoming European Democracy Shield (EDS), expected in the third quarter of 2025, will set out a common policy approach to safeguard the integrity of elections, strengthen information resilience, and foster citizens’ trust in institutions.

Local governments, among the most trusted levels of government, are already translating these ambitions into practice through a people-centre approach to digitalisation.

Across Europe, cities are showing how democratic principles can be reinforced through digital policies that are transparent, inclusive, and grounded in people’s rights. Whether by designing digital services that respect consent and privacy, promoting digital literacy to counter disinformation, or deploying ethical AI tools that build trust, municipalities are playing a key role in making democracy work in the digital age.

Their work complements and reinforces democratic resilience by ensuring that technology strengthens, not undermines, public trust and participation.

European local leaders are aware of the importance of ensuring that public services remain genuinely human-centred, placing people’s evolving needs and experiences at their core.

While the EU’s Digital Decade targets state that 100% of key public services must be accessible online by 2030, cities make it clear that digital transformation must prioritise inclusive practices that benefit everyone.

Cities are the closest level of government to citizens, and many of them offer leading examples of how to implement human-centric digital transformation effectively.

For example, in Helsinki’s MyData Operator initiative, residents are empowered to control how their personal data is used through Consent-Based Services. This model enables individuals to actively manage and give permission for the sharing of their data across city services, ensuring transparency, privacy, and trust. Rather than storing data centrally, the system emphasises secure, decentralised management, allowing users to seamlessly transfer their data while maintaining full control. Porto Transparência Digital is another standout example of how cities can keep people at the heart of their digital policies by prioritising transparency, privacy, and public engagement. Coordinated by the City of Porto and implemented by Porto Digital, this pilot project gives residents clear insight into the technologies operating in their urban spaces, using signage with QR codes that link to detailed data-use explanations.

Ghent has recently launched a Human-Centred Design Toolbox for Local Municipalities, as a part of the Citydeal project with District09, the body responsible for the ICT services of the city. The Toolbox was designed as a joint initiative by all 13 biggest cities in Flanders on how digital policies can be inclusive by design, and aims to assist cities in avoiding the creation of more digital barriers by focusing on human-centred practices.

Ghent has also published a list of policy recommendations on how to improve digital inclusion on a holistic scale, covering every domain where digitisation has an impact, and where there is a risk of digital exclusion.

Protecting digital rights while tackling digital inequalities remains critical to ensuring equitable access to the benefits of digitalisation. Local governments across Europe face the urgent task of balancing digital rights with proactive measures addressing digital exclusion.

Launched in 2023, the Digital Inclusion Observatory in Bordeaux examines how digital exclusion impacts residents. A 2023 survey of over 5,000 participants revealed that 75% of locals act as digital helpers for their relatives, while 18% feel more burdened by digital technology than benefited by it. Nearly 50% of people are concerned about their ability to identify misinformation online, and a quarter struggle with online administrative tasks.

To further understand these issues, the observatory has recently expanded its work with qualitative research, focusing on the ‘digital suffering’ that many residents face due to constant technology use. While EU policies such as the European Declaration of Digital Rights and Principles and the Digital Compass (which aims for 80% of citizens to have at least basic digital skills by 2030) offer solid guidance, it is the cities that are implementing these principles on the ground. Several cities illustrate successful strategies to foster digital inclusion.

For example, in Brussels, the Digital Rights Charter, launched in October 2023, outlines a human-centred approach to digital transformation. It encompasses commitments to digital inclusion, accessibility, digital education, data ethics, and privacy, aiming to ensure that all residents have equitable access to digital services and can participate in the digital public sphere. Rotterdam is tackling the digital divide through their comprehensive Digital Inclusion Programme, which includes city-led initiatives such as the ‘Teatime’ project. This project, designed to teach digital skills to migrant women, exemplifies how effective targeted interventions for vulnerable populations can be.

The growing availability of data analytics and AI-based tools presents a significant opportunity for cities to enhance their policymaking processes through evidence-based approaches. EU initiatives like the European Data Strategy and the Data Governance Act cities to pursue secure and fair data-sharing partnerships with private entities, strengthening governance capabilities.

Technologies like local digital twins are powerful tools that can significantly support data-driven policymaking by creating virtual replicas of urban environments, allowing cities to simulate, analyse, and optimise policies before implementation. These digital models integrate real-time data, providing detailed insights into urban systems such as transportation, energy use, and public services.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more embedded in local governance, ensuring its ethical use has become a pressing concern. European cities are calling for transparent and responsible AI deployment, with an emphasis on involving cities in shaping AI policies to foster public trust.

In this context, the EU AI Act establishes a risk-based regulatory framework, requiring cities to ensure that all AI systems used in public services meet strict transparency, accountability, and ethical standards. It mandates that, among others, AI applications in areas like law enforcement and urban management undergo regular assessments to protect citizens’ rights and privacy. This legislation allows cities to benefit from innovation while ensuring that AI deployment aligns with EU values and safeguards against potential harms.

Dutch cities are leading by example in this area. Eindhoven, for example, participates in the creation of a local algorithm register, mirroring the national algorithm registry in the Netherlands. This registry, which has over 810 entries, promotes transparency by documenting all algorithms used in cities’ governance, ensuring accountability and helping citizens understand which algorithms affect their lives. Finnish cities are also advancing ethical and citizen-focused AI adoption. In Oulu, the 2024–2028 smart city strategy includes digital twins, AI, and participation, supported by ethical guidelines, a general AI policy, and staff training. Projects like the OULUbot chatbot aim to improve services and are being tested across various smart devices.

Helsinki promotes transparency through its AI Register and ethical AI principles, encouraging public feedback. Its experimentation accelerator has led to over 60 innovation pilots, including GenAI applications in social care, procurement, and citizen feedback. A GenAI roadmap guides governance, training, and deployment of general-purpose assistants.

Collaborative innovation and knowledge sharing among cities is crucial to realising the full potential of digitalisation. European local governments increasingly recognise the value of exchanging not only best practices, but also data and infrastructure.

For example, the CitiVerse European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) platform will play a key role in enabling cities to share critical digital resources. By providing a shared digital infrastructure, CitiVerse EDIC allows local governments to collaborate more effectively and efficiently, ensuring cities can access the resources they need to accelerate digital transformation.

At the same time, Living-in.EU brings together municipalities and regions across Europe to create a space for open dialogue, enabling cities to exchange experiences, discuss their challenges, share best practices and access EU tools. Through this initiative, local governments collaborate to explore common solutions to the pressing issues they face in their digital transition. It is also a platform to channel local needs and priorities to EU policymakers.

For the city of Sofia, co-chair of the Living-in.EU Digital Assembly, one of these priorities is fostering the development of data spaces for enhanced collaboration, innovation and data-driven decision-making. By combining data from governments, private companies, and citizens, data spaces enable an interconnected ecosystem that accelerates the development of new products, services, and solutions in areas like urban planning, healthcare, and mobility.