The Transformation of the Content of the Constitutional Right of Association in the Context of Digitalization

Global digitalization is significantly transforming the content of the constitutional right to association, enshrined in article 30 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The emergence of digital communities of various natures, such as network associations, decentralized autonomous organizations, and cross-border associations, reveals the inconsistency of the normative model of a public association based on the presumption of the physical nature of its activities with real forms of collective self-organization in the digital environment. The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of digitalization on the content of the constitutional right to association and to develop a constitutional and legal typology of digital associations. As a result, it has been established that digitalization does not generate rights of a different legal nature, but transforms the conditions of implementation and expands the content of existing constitutional law. An original constitutional and legal typology of digital associations has been developed. The effect of strengthening the convergence of freedom of speech, the right to association and the right to information in the digital environment is revealed. Recommendations for improving the legislation of the Russian Federation are formulated.