It’s been 11 years since the idea for Citizen OS came to life, and 9 years since the launch of our participation platform! We asked some of the founders what drove them to create such an e-participation platform. Ahti Heinla, a renowned Estonian technology entrepreneur, shared his insights.
Photo: Ahti Heinla initiated Citizen OS to give people more decision-making power. Photo: Illustrative (by Ruudu Rahumaru).
Technology & civic activism
Ahti has a long history of connecting civic society engagement with technology. He was one of the organisers of the Let’s Do It! (‘Teeme ära!’) civic movement in 2008, which brought together 50,000 volunteers to clean up Estonia of illegal waste in just one day. Ahti coordinated the creation of a waste mapping system that enabled people to map waste anywhere using their phones. In 2008, smartphones were a new thing, and Ahti’s experience as one of the creators of Skype came in handy.
The Estonian Let’s Do it! movement later grew into the international civic movement called World Cleanup Day and also became fertile ground for the seed that grew into the current Citizen OS.
Our current political system often doesn't ensure the best decision making. Those with better oratory skills usually get more “air-time” and the votes, but that doesn't guarantee expertise. We wanted to give more people decision-making power.
What was the need behind the idea?
Ahti Heinla: The core reason is that the current political system often doesn’t ensure the best decision making. Those with better oratory skills usually get more “air-time” and the votes, but that doesn’t guarantee expertise. We wanted to give more people decision-making power. While not everyone can be active citizens, technology could facilitate access through methods like vote delegation and online participation.
We elect a rather small number of state or local government representatives. In a way, this means that key decisions are being made by a small group of people. We wanted to give decision-making power to more people.
Of course, it’s understandable that we can’t all be active citizens in a professional way and work full time to keep ourselves informed. Physically attending all meetings and showing up to all decision-making events is not possible for most. This is an obstacle that makes participation harder for people. That is why we wanted to give people more access with the help of technology.
Even though the initial idea and our dream was to create quite a drastic shift on the governmental level, we now see the Citizen OS platform providing this support to various types of communities and organisations, working across sectors.
Why do we need more people involved in decision-making?
Ahti Heinla: It’s impractical for every individual to make all decisions, but leaving it to a small group raises questions about how they’re chosen. We aimed for a wise middle way, creating a digital platform for broader participation and ensuring key decisions aren’t controlled by a few.
What hopes do you have for the future of Citizen OS?
Ahti Heinla: I hope its principles become more widespread. Initially, we wanted to change how countries are governed, but I now see it differently. I hope for more users, inclusive discussions, and better decisions. Citizen OS remains relevant, especially considering trends in technology and the potential manipulation by smooth-talking AI.
