Sphere Transgression Watch: van filosofische theorie naar interactieve database

Sphere Transgression Watch: from philosophical theory to interactive database Over the past decade, large technology companies have expanded into societal sectors where they were traditionally not active, such as healthcare, education, and agriculture. We argue that this expansion can be understood as a series of sphere transgressions, where the (legitimate) advantages that these companies have acquired within the digital sphere are translated into unfair advantages and influence in other societal sectors with profound consequences. To document and visualize the growing influence of these companies, we developed the interactive database Sphere Transgression Watch. In this contribution, we reflect on the conceptual and technical challenges we encountered during the development of the database. We discuss how key decisions — such as data selection, the visualization, and the normative framing of the interface — were shaped by our theoretical lens, while also exploring how the development process in turn refined our understanding of sphere transgressions. The contribution ends with practical suggestions for other researchers who want to translate theoretical concepts into practical tools.