Internapolicity
Internapolicity refers to the condition where policy (rules, sanctions, incentives) is generated internally by a non-state polity (an organized community with its own governance structures) but exercises authority over individuals and transactions that cross traditional state boundaries. Unlike international law (agreed between states) or national policy (enacted by a sovereign), internapolicity is endogenous, privatized, and technically executed.
Algorithmic norm-setting often lacks explainability. A user whose wallet is frozen may never receive a specific policy citation—only a message: “activity inconsistent with our terms.” internapolicity
No election legitimizes Meta’s content policy team or Uniswap’s front-end developers. While users can exit (leave the platform), exit is costly and often impossible when internapolitan decisions affect access to essential services (e.g., banking, communication, mobility). Internapolicity refers to the condition where policy (rules,
Internapolicity, digital governance, platform sovereignty, algorithmic policy, hybrid jurisdiction. 1. Introduction In 2023, a social media platform permanently suspended a political candidate’s account for incitement. No state court ordered the suspension. No treaty governed it. The decision was made by an internal policy team guided by community standards, enforced by code, and reviewed by a quasi-judicial board funded by the corporation itself. This event—repeated thousands of times daily—reveals a profound transformation: the rise of internapolicity . A user whose wallet is frozen may never
None declared.
Since Internapolicity is not a standard term in mainstream political science or sociology, this paper defines it operationally. It synthesizes internality (internal dynamics), policy (governance), and polity (organized society) to describe the emergent regulatory framework within digital platforms, transnational networks, and fragmented governance systems. Internapolicity: The Emergent Governance of Hybrid Digital-Physical Spheres Author: [Institutional Affiliation] Date: April 14, 2026 Abstract The traditional Westphalian model of sovereignty, where a single state exerts exclusive policy authority over a defined territory, is increasingly inadequate for describing contemporary governance. This paper introduces the concept of Internapolicity —a portmanteau of internal , policy , and polity —to describe a new mode of regulation where policy is generated internally within non-state entities (e.g., digital platforms, transnational corporations, algorithmic systems) yet produces external, binding effects on physical populations. We argue that Internapolicity manifests through three core mechanisms: algorithmic norm-setting, contractual citizenship, and jurisdictional layering. Using case studies from content moderation (Facebook’s Oversight Board), decentralized finance (DeFi protocols), and smart city infrastructure, this paper demonstrates that Internapolicity is not a failure of state law but a parallel system of co-governance. We conclude by proposing a research agenda for democratic accountability within internapolitan systems.
In 2022, a decentralized exchange (Uniswap) front-end interface blacklisted 253 wallet addresses allegedly linked to stolen funds. No court order existed. The policy was embedded in the interface’s code. Users in those wallets could not trade. This is internapolicity: policy as executable logic. 3.2 Contractual Citizenship Traditional citizenship is ascribed by birth or naturalization. Internapolitan membership, by contrast, is contractual and revocable . By clicking “I agree” to a Terms of Service (ToS), a user enters a private polity. The ToS is its constitution; the community guidelines are its statutes; the internal appeals board is its judiciary. Violation leads not to prison but to deplatforming —exile from the internapolitan space.
