Opportunities and Challenges for (Open) Research on Large Online Platforms
Online event on 30 June (13:15–14:45) with Simone Ruf, Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF)
Registration via the following link: https://fu-berlin.webex.com/weblink/register/r9fe0ce62cb9536e2356e0be01b26d909
Background: In February 2024, the European Digital Services Act (DSA) became fully applicable across the European Union, including Germany. The DSA establishes a regulatory framework aimed at more effective and consistent governance of digital platforms, services, and products. The regulation applies, among others, to actors such as X, Meta, TikTok, and Google. It sets out rules governing how online platforms must remove or reinstate content, as well as how they are required to ensure greater transparency in these processes. To assess and mitigate so-called systemic risks, the DSA includes provisions intended, for example, to protect minors and to enhance transparency in advertising. These also address issues such as addictive design features and illegal or harmful content.
Article 40 of the DSA also establishes a right of access for researchers. Since October 2025, researchers have been able to register via the Data Access Portal to obtain and analyse data from very large online platforms and online search engines (further information is available, for example, from the Bundesnetzagentur). The event on 30 June offers an introduction to this new topic, which is still unfamiliar to many researchers. It will focus on the DSA’s provisions in relation to the principles of open research, research data, and open data.
About the speaker: The lawyer Simone Ruf from the Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (GFF) has been closely involved in accompanying the implementation of the DSA in practice for many years and critically engages with both the regulatory framework and the responses of platform providers to it. In her input, the legal expert will outline the background to the DSA, explore the potential of the research access provision it contains, and discuss the opportunities and challenges of this legal instrument for open research. The session will be followed by an opportunity for questions and joint discussion.
The event is aimed at researchers working on digital platforms, in particular in communication and media studies, as well as in the social sciences, economics, law, and related disciplines. It is also intended for staff working in libraries, archives, and other research infrastructure institutions. Students and all other interested parties are, of course, very welcome. No prior legal knowledge is required.
- Date: Thursday 30 June 13:15-14:45, online via Webex (Registration)
- Speaker: Simone Ruf (Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte, Center for User Rights)
- Organized by: Open Research Office Berlin, Legal Helpdesk Berlin, the Working Group Media Industries of the German Society for Media Studies (GfM), FID Media and the Copyright Service Centre
- Organisation team: Stefan Cravcisin, Georg Fischer, Aziza Hentschel, Kai Matuszkiewicz und Lies van Roessel
Registration is required to participate. Please register via the following link: https://fu-berlin.webex.com/weblink/register/r9fe0ce62cb9536e2356e0be01b26d909
The link for joining the event will be sent by email after registration.