Event
Despite the EU’s Digital Services Act granting researchers rights to scrutinise Big Tech platforms, academics report significant obstacles in obtaining data from companies such as TikTok, X, and Meta. Researchers cite stringent security requirements, narrow interpretations of systemic risk, and high costs as primary barriers. The European Commission recently fined X €120 million for creating unnecessary barriers to research access, and X has agreed to an action plan to improve its vetting process and provide data free of charge.
2 published stories · artificial-intelligence · source reliability 0%
Despite legislative amendments intended to facilitate academic study of systemic risks, researchers report facing narrow eligibility interpretations and high costs from major technology companies including TikTok, X, and Meta.
Background
The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) mandates that major social media platforms provide researchers with access to data to scrutinise systemic risks, such as disinformation and illegal content. However, academics report significant barriers from platforms including TikTok, X, and Meta, citing stringent security requirements, narrow interpretations of risk, and high costs. In December 2025, the European Commission fined X €120 million for creating unnecessary barriers to research access. X has appealed the fine but agreed to an action plan to improve vetting processes and provide data free of charge. Recent cases, including investigations into election interference in Romania and Germany, highlight the tension between regulatory rights and platform compliance, with the EU expanding access to non-public data to study risks like recommender systems and financial scams.
The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) mandates that major social media platforms provide researchers with access to data to scrutinise systemic risks, such as disinformation and illegal content. However, academics report significant barriers from platforms including TikTok, X, and
Fact cards
Key entities: European Commission, TikTok, X, Meta, Digital Services Act.
November 2024: TikTok accounts promote candidate Calin Georgescu in Romania’s presidential election; his posts receive 120 million views. October 2025: Adriana Iamnitchi, chair of computational social sciences at Maastricht University, applies for TikTok API access to study disin
Timeline
TikTok accounts promote candidate Calin Georgescu in Romania’s presidential election; his posts receive 120 million views.
Adriana Iamnitchi, chair of computational social sciences at Maastricht University, applies for TikTok API access to study disinformation but is denied.
The European Commission fines X €120 million for creating unnecessary barriers to researcher access.
TikTok flags 116,000 accounts and takes action against 27,000 fake accounts linked to the Georgescu campaign network.
Democracy Reporting International (DRI) sues X after X rejects their request to study political discourse ahead of Germany’s federal election.
X appeals the €120 million fine, calling the investigation “incomplete and superficial.”
The EU expands researchers’ access to non-public platform data to study systemic risks.
The European Commission accepts X’s action plan, giving X six months to implement changes.