The Ninth International Scientific and Practical Conference "Bachilo Readings"
On February 5, 2026, the IX International Scientific and Practical Conference "Bachilov Readings" was held
The Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences hosted the IX International Scientific and Practical Conference on Information Law and Legal Support of Information Security "Bachilo Readings." Evgeny Diskin, Leading Research Fellow at the International Laboratory for Digital Transformation in Public Administration HSE University, delivered a report titled: "Defining Digital Platforms: Results of a 25-Year Discussion."
In his presentation, E. Diskin expressed a number of key theses. In particular, it was noted that in modern conditions, the formation of a theoretical and legal basis for the study of the digital environment requires a detailed analysis of the conceptual and categorical framework. In domestic legal doctrine and legislation, attempts are being made to establish a normative definition of the concept of a "digital platform," which is reflected in Federal Law No. 289-FZ of July 31, 2025, "On Certain Issues of Regulating the Platform Economy in the Russian Federation" (the "Law on the Platform Economy"). Nevertheless, work in this area is far from complete, which necessitates a deep study of the genesis of the term "platform" and a transition to its uniform, meaningful use.
Etymological analysis shows that the concept under consideration traces back to the French plate-forme ("flat form"). Research into 19th-century archival sources revealed that in the Russian language, the term originally had a narrow sectoral meaning associated with the development of railway transport, as confirmed by the works of P.P. Melnikov, one of the first engineering theorists in this field in Russia. Accordingly, the first mention of this term dates back to 1835. However, the modern interpretation of the term in the context of computing technology originates in the 1960s, when the IBM System/360 family of computers was introduced. It was from this moment that the computing system ceased to be a single product with an initially defined functionality and purpose and began to develop along the path of universal platforms. These served as the basis for creating computing systems of various purposes and capacities, allowing for the connection of any peripheral equipment, the compatibility of which was ensured by IBM. This set of properties of the System/360 architecture allowed for the standardization of approaches to computer creation and, consequently, anticipated the idea of universality and compatibility that lies at the heart of the entire computer industry. In turn, this property allowed digital technologies to scale rapidly and led to the formation of the digital economy, the digitalization of public administration, and communications. Thus, the utilitarian term "platform," long established in science and industry, became a way of describing information systems whose economic model is based on the network effect.
