This Crosscurrent contribution presents programmable politics as an emerging keyword for understanding the complex interplay between technology, society and politics in the 21st century. Programmable politics has gained heightened importance in the aftermath of the pandemic that has sped up digitalisation processes that are the preconditions for programmable politics to emerge. Turning increasingly to engagement online, the pandemic constitutes a catalyst for programmable politics. The concept highlights both the potential for enhancing democratic engagement, and the risks of undermining it through the centralisation of control and manipulation of information flows. We discuss the transition from digital politics, characterised by the integration of the internet and social media into political discourse and action, to programmable politics, a concept that highlights the impact of platform architectures, algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) and non-human agency on the political landscape. In doing so, we call for a critical examination of how current digital technology reshapes the dynamics of power, control and resistance within the political domain.