Corporate Power Challenging corporate domination and advancing democratic alternatives
Across the world, corporations are exercising unprecedented influence over politics, public institutions, digital infrastructures, natural resources, and everyday life. From shaping trade and tax rules to steering climate policy, digital governance, and public services, corporate actors increasingly set the terms of decision-making while democratic accountability is weakened.
TNI’s Corporate Power work investigates how concentrated economic power shapes global governance, deepens inequality, drives ecological destruction, and undermines democracy. Through critical research, political analysis, and collaboration with social movements and civil society organisations, we expose the structures that sustain corporate impunity and support struggles for democratic control, public accountability, and systemic transformation.
Victor Barro/Friends of the Earth International
What we work on
Research and analysis on the systems, actors, and institutions shaping corporate power today.
Research focus
Digital Futures
Digital technologies are reshaping economies, labour, communication, security, and public life. Yet the digital transition is increasingly controlled by a small number of powerful technology corporations whose business models rely on data extraction, surveillance, monopolisation, and the concentration of infrastructural power.
TNI’s Digital Futures work examines the political economy of digitalisation and the growing influence of Big Tech over governance, labour, trade, public services, and global development agendas. We investigate how digital technologies are transforming power relations and analyse the social and ecological impacts of platform capitalism, artificial intelligence, data governance, and digital infrastructures.
At the same time, we support debates and movements working towards democratic, public-interest alternatives, including digital commons, public digital infrastructure, technological sovereignty, and community-controlled technologies.
Multistakeholderism
Multistakeholder governance models are increasingly promoted as solutions to global challenges, bringing together corporations, governments, international institutions, and civil society actors in decision-making processes. While often presented as inclusive and collaborative, these arrangements can blur lines of accountability and expand corporate influence over public policy.
TNI’s work on multistakeholderism critically examines how these governance frameworks operate across areas such as climate policy, food systems, digital governance, and global health. We analyse how corporate actors use multistakeholder initiatives to shape agendas, avoid regulation, and consolidate legitimacy while weakening democratic decision-making and public oversight.
Our research contributes to broader debates on democracy, accountability, and public governance, supporting efforts to strengthen transparent, rights-based, and publicly accountable institutions.
State of Power
State of Power is TNI’s flagship annual report on global power and resistance. Each edition brings together leading activists, researchers, and organisers from around the world to analyse the major political, economic, technological, ecological, and geopolitical forces shaping our societies.
The series investigates how power operates today, from authoritarianism and militarisation to corporate concentration, digital surveillance, financial power, border regimes, and climate injustice. At the same time, it highlights movements, struggles, and transformative alternatives emerging across regions.
By connecting critical analysis with movement knowledge and political strategy, State of Power seeks to support collective understanding and strengthen struggles for justice, democracy, peace, and systemic change.
Stop Corporate Impunity
Corporations continue to benefit from weak regulation, fragmented international legal systems, and governance structures that allow environmental destruction, labour exploitation, human rights abuses, and tax avoidance to persist with limited accountability.
TNI’s work to stop corporate impunity supports international efforts to challenge these systems and advance binding rules that hold transnational corporations accountable for their impacts. We research the legal, political, and economic mechanisms that enable impunity, including investment protection regimes, supply chain governance, financial secrecy, and corporate lobbying.
We collaborate with social movements, trade unions, affected communities, and international advocacy networks working to strengthen corporate accountability, defend human rights, and advance democratic control over economic power.
How we work
TNI combines critical research, movement collaboration, and public engagement to challenge corporate power and support democratic alternatives.
Research and analysis
We produce in-depth research on corporate influence, global governance, digital capitalism, economic concentration, and emerging forms of political and economic power. Our work connects local struggles to global systems and examines the structural drivers of inequality and injustice.
Popular education and knowledge sharing
We translate complex political and economic issues into accessible reports, briefings, podcasts, videos, and educational materials. Through workshops, seminars, and public events, we support collective learning and political exchange across movements and regions.
Network building and movement support
We collaborate with grassroots organisations, civil society coalitions, trade unions, researchers, and advocacy networks around the world. Our work helps strengthen alliances, facilitate exchange, and support collective strategies to confront corporate power.
Advocacy and public debate
Together with partners, we contribute research and analysis to public debates and policy discussions at local, national, and international levels. We work to amplify critical perspectives and support democratic approaches to governance and economic transformation.
Communication and media outreach
TNI researchers contribute expert analysis and commentary on corporate power, digital governance, global economic policy, and democratic alternatives. We engage journalists, public commentators, and independent media to bring critical perspectives into wider public debate.