The Tech Policy Press Podcast Why Independent Researchers Need Better Access to Platform Data
Nov 9, 2025
Peter Chapman, Associate Director at the Knight-Georgetown Institute, Brandi Geurkink, Executive Director of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research, and Elka Seiling, a researcher at the Weizenbaum Institute, dive into the vital need for independent researchers to have better access to technology platform data. They discuss the power dynamics of data access, the challenges posed by the EU's Digital Services Act, and the potential for a more accountable tech landscape. Their insights highlight the crucial link between research access and civic empowerment.
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Prioritize High-Influence Platform Data
- Define and prioritize “high-influence public platform data” to focus researcher efforts.
- Target data about highly disseminated content, public figures, and promoted material for civic-impact studies.
Access Cuts Meet Data Commodification
- Platforms have reduced researcher access while commodifying public data for AI and third parties.
- That combination narrows scrutiny and increases commercial control over public conversation data.
River Pollution Analogy For Data Access
- Brandi compares platform data access to communities testing river water for pollution.
- The analogy highlights how environmental regulation empowered accountability that digital users currently lack.