Jonas Heering is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Government at Georgetown, where he studies international relations. His research focuses broadly on the role of digital platforms in global politics and the relationship between platform companies and states. Specifically, he examines the type of private authority platform companies exert, the conditions under which this private authority complements or challenges the authority of the state, and the regulatory responses governments have implemented to limit the power of platforms. His regional focus is on Europe and the European Union. Jonas holds an M.A. in German and European Studies from the Georgetown SFS and bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Management from Texas Christian University.