We have published a new report, Academic Access to Social Media Data for the Study of Political Online Safety. This in response to Ofcom’s call for evidence on this topic. As new threats reach the social media environment, platforms continue to obstruct independent research. It’s time to act.
Elon Musk is a key actor in the Trump administration, Meta stopped using factcheckers right when GenAI makes mis/disinformation more sophisticated, and TikTok is accused of threatening the national security of Western countries. What does this mean for society and democracy?
The ability of independent researchers to answer these and other questions is under threat as platforms limit data access to academics. The EU is already pushing them to revert this trend, yet other governments such as the UK are lagging behind. Ofcom/Parliament must act.
The goal of the report is four-fold. First, we discuss the threats that social media pose to society and democracy, particularly in light of recent development in Generative AI and platform ownership.
Second, we detail what data researchers need for conducting independent research on online safety. Third, we discuss the challenges they currently face. Finally, we advocate for the creation of a new independent body to foster, manage and oversee academic platform research.
The report builds on, and aims to contribute to, parallel efforts in other countries. Take a quick look at our Executive Summary for a brief overview of the report.