Yuk Hui defines the digital object as a computational entity composed of data, metadata, and schemas that give it semantic, functional, and relational form. Its existence appears on the screen through images, videos, profiles, posts, invitations, and files, while its operational structure remains active in the back end of software systems. This dual presence makes the digital object a distinctive form of contemporary being: visible to users, processable by machines, and organised through technical standards. Hui’s argument develops from the history of objects in philosophy, moving from natural objects understood through substance and perception to technical objects understood through function, milieu, and individuation. Through Simondon, the digital object becomes intelligible as part of a technical milieu; through Heidegger, it becomes part of a world of use, attention, and care. A clear example appears in Hui’s discussion of FOAF metadata, where “Martin Heidegger” is represented through structured fields such as name, email hash, and social relation. This case shows that digital existence is produced through discursive relations: the object becomes meaningful because its elements are formatted, connected, and interpretable within a computational ontology. The digital object therefore names the basic entity of networked culture: programmable, shareable, classifiable, and politically significant. Hui’s contribution lies in giving philosophy a precise vocabulary for understanding how contemporary life is shaped by objects whose being emerges through relational computation.
