iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/08/2026

𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗦 𝘃𝘀. 𝗘𝗨'𝘀 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Both US and EU are looking to enhance protection for minors online. Whether you agree or disagree w/ chosen approaches, there's been a lot of movement on this US Congress has failed to pass […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Table comparing the US settlement Meta agreed to with the Article 28 guidelines based on the EU's Digital Services Act, DSA for short.

The guidelines or not binding, whereas the DSA is. The DSA contains binding rules on recommender systems and data access for researchers, which is also part of the Meta settlement.

The settlement is only binding for Meta and only for a limited time, too.

For most commitments in the US, there is an equivalent in the guidelines. This concerns high-privacy default settings including no autoplay, no push notifications, no filters associated to negative body images, no tracking and no streaks, likes/engagement only from known accounts, age-assurance systems to be in place, human and automated content moderation to be in place, no unwanted contact from strangers and parental controls.

Meta's settlement contains a strict two-hour daily screen time limit, which is not covered in the Article 28 guidelines or the DSA.

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/07/2026

Wichtige Arbeit, die von Beteiligung der Menschen lebt: "Weizenbaum-Institut ruft vor Landtagswahlen 2026 zur TikTok-Datenspende auf" - freiwillig - anonymisiert - Teilnehmende erhalten individuelle Auswertung ihres TikTok-Feeds Mitmachen? ➡️ […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/05/2026

Great to see more national DSA investigations in addition to ones from the European Commission Most recently, in Ireland: Digital Services Coordinator will check whether - Facebook/Instagram users can easily select their recommender systems - […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Screenshot from the German Digital Services Coordinator's 2025 annual activity report. It is German text. It reads: "The DSA came under political pressure last year. Following the inauguration of the new U.S. administration, some providers of very large online platforms have partially retracted their previous compliance commitments. And significant hurdles have arisen not only with regard to the enforcement of the DSA, but also in the area of criminal prosecution in the digital space. It is important that the DSA continues not to be used as a bargaining chip in foreign policy negotiations between the EU and the U.S."

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/04/2026

Check out these practical tips at the end of the article by @dscheykopp @lkseiling There is also guidance from various DSCs on the data access for non-public data, e.g.: - Ireland […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Screenshot from the article "Finally, Access: How Article 40 DSA Changes Platform Research in Practice" with tips on how to prepare for DSA data access, including:
- Start with clear and feasible research questions. Well-defined questions anchored in identifiable systemic risks are more persuasive than overly ambitious designs. Access requests are open to qualitative, quantitative, and computational approaches.
- Focus on systemic risks but interpret them thoughtfully. Many platform research questions can be situated within the DSA’s systemic risk framework without forcing an artificial fit.
- Form functional teams. Collaboration across institutions and even continents is possible and often necessary. However, be aware that data transfers across institutions may pose additional burdens.
- Your institution likely already has suitable security infrastructure. Certified secure processing environments are common at universities and national research infrastructures.
- Describe your expected infrastructure confidently. Applications should clearly reference existing institutional resources and highlight the technical details relevant to processing and securing the requested data.
- Start with a realistic timeline. Applications should account for regulatory review, coordination with DSCs, and potential delays in data provision.

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/04/2026

Potential funding opportunity for research into social media algorithms (among other things): www.bundesanzeiger.de/pub/publicati… It's from the German government […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Screenshot from a call for proposals with German text reading: "Analyse der Rolle von digitaler Infrastruktur (zum Beispiel Foren, Soziale Netzwerke, Messenger), deren technisch-organisatorischen Regeln (zum Beispiel Such-/Empfehlungsalgorithmen, Nutzungsbedingungen) sowie
geeigneten Schutzmechanismen (zum Beispiel Warnhinweise, Community Notes) gegen Informationsmanipulation und Einmischung im Informationsraum inklusive Betrachtungen und Entwicklung von Maßnahmen zur Bewertung und Verbesserung der Resilienz digitaler Infrastruktur gegen Manipulation und Einflussnahme"

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/04/2026

🚨 💸 Big funding alert to folks interested in DSA data access! Call going out to research institutions, civil society organizations and others. Idea is basically to have 1 big consortium that prepares for/funds research on information integrity, specifically […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Screenshot from page 10 of the call document with the following text: Specific objective 4: This specific objective seeks to boost the capacity of the
research community and civil society to carry out high impact research on the
basis of online platforms’ data, by leveraging the mechanisms provided in the
Digital Services Act. Applying consortia should propose activities in this area based on a needs analysis of the research and civil society community and a clear feasibility assessment. Activities should focus on improving the current understanding of the criteria required to make use of opportunities provided by both Article 40(12) and 40(4) DSA11. Particular attention should be devoted to capacity building for the community in relation to the security, confidentiality and privacy aspects in accessing and processing data. Finally, identification and dissemination of the best practices to conduct research on the basis of platforms’ data, via the data access tools, but also other transparency
tools, such as the transparency reports, database and risk assessments, and audit reports should be supported.

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/03/2026

The folks at the Irish Digital Services Coordinator have a monthly webinar for researchers interested in data access under the DSA. This is highly valuable source and opportunity to exchange with the experts at the regulator. The next webinar is on April 9 […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Screenshot from the Irish DSC announcing a webinar. The following text is shown:
Understanding Vetted Researcher Data Access under Article 40.4 DSA

Researchers! Coimisiún na Meán invites you to join our Director of Research Ms. Naoise McNally for a webinar -

“Understanding Vetted Researcher Data Access under Article 40.4 DSA”

This webinar will outline:
- The overall process for submitting applications
- Detail the parameters for applications under 40.4-11
- Outline the key requirements for applications
- Highlight new guidance document
- Suggest resources and guidance to assist with application preparation
- Answer questions on the application process and requirements

Please submit your questions in advance to article40@cnam.ie.

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/03/2026

The researchers offer a webinar on the Article 40 process: "DSA data access in practice: experiences from some of the first applications" […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Screenshot with the following text on a webinar:
DSA data access in practice: experiences from some of the first applications
Webinar, 20 March, 14.00-16.00 CET
Please use this form to register for the webinar. We will send you a Teams link for the event shortly.

14:00-15:00 Session 1 - Practice of data access requests
Introduction: Catalina Goanta (Utrecht University)
This session addresses foundational questions in systemic risk research and the governance frameworks required to support it by reflecting on lessons learned from the first wave of data access requests. On the technical and organisational side, the session examines the requirements for institutional support, data security measures, and the infrastructure needed to handle sensitive data responsibly. In addition, we will address what these requirements mean for the type of research expected to fit under Article 40(4) DSA.
Discussant: Anda Iamnitchi (Maastricht University)

15:00-16:00 Session 2 - Process visibility and inequalities between researchers
Introduction: Mateus Correia De Carvalho (European University Institute)
Drawing on research into data access histories, this session examines the structural inequalities that shape who can meaningfully participate in platform data research. It explores disparities between researchers in the visibility and recognition of the research process itself.

Discussants: Paddy Leerssen (University of Amsterdam) & Giovanni De Gregorio (Universidade Catolica Portuguesa)

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/12/2025

"Commission fines X €120 million under the Digital Services Act" As part of the Commission's findings, X has 90 days to present an action plan to deal with infringements regarding researcher access to public data. This might not lead to positive changes […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Screenshot with a press statement from the European Commission. The excerpt highlighting in the picture reads: "X fails to meet its DSA obligations to provide researchers with access to the platform's public data. For instance, X's terms of service prohibit eligible researchers from independently accessing its public data, including through scraping. Moreover, X's processes for researchers' access to public data impose unnecessary barriers, effectively undermining research into several systemic risks in the European Union."

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/11/2025

Lots of interesting reads in the series "Seeing the Digital Sphere: The Case for Public Platform Data" (by Tech Policy Press and Knight-Georgetown Institute) e.g., on "high-profile figures" online and what privacy they expect (Anna Lenhart, Brandon […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Screenshot from Tech Policy Press with the following text:

Seeing the Digital Sphere: The Case for Public Platform Data is published by Tech Policy Press in partnership with the Knight-Georgetown Institute. The series launched on November 6, 2025, with new essays published daily. Contributors include Brandon Silverman, Dan Arnaudo, George Pearson, Jo Lukito, Kaitlyn Dowling, Leticia Bode, LK Seiling, Mark Scott, Peter Chapman, Rachelle Faust, and Vineet John Samuel.

Check the site for updates; links to the pieces will be placed here as they are published.

The World’s Growing Information Black Box: Inequity in Platform Research - Rachelle Faust and Daniel Arnaudo

There is More Online Election Discourse than Ever, But Researchers See Less - Josephine Lukito and Kaitlyn Dowling

Why Independent Researchers Need Better Access to Platform Data - Peter Chapman, Brandi Geurkink, and LK Seiling

Why Platform Data is Essential to Public Health Efforts in Tobacco Control - George Pearson

Why Commercial Tools Can Scrape Social Media But Researchers Can't - Brandon Silverman

In Critical Condition – How To Stabilize Researcher Data Access? - Mark Scott and LK Seiling

The Future of Platform Research Depends on Collective Action - Vineet John Samuel

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/11/2025

Working in a company, NGO, think tank or university and have expertise on political advertising? The European Commission might be looking for your advice. They're establishing an "expert group of providers of political advertising services" to advise on the […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Screenshot from the application notice for the Commission's "Expert group of providers of political advertising services".

It shows that, among others, academia, think tanks, companies, law firms, NGOs, trade associations and trade unions can apply.

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Julian Jaursch @jjaursch.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 29/05/2025

Not sure I quite get this announcement www.state.gov/announcement-of-a-vis… The part of the law cited says that nobody can be turned away for statements that are legal within the US […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Text from Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, except for (iv) Notification of determinations (for length)

(C) Foreign policy
(i) In general
An alien whose entry or proposed activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is inadmissible.
(ii) Exception for officials
An alien who is an official of a foreign government or a purported government, or who is a candidate for election to a foreign government office during the period immediately preceding the election for that office, shall not be excludable or subject to restrictions or conditions on entry into the United States under clause (i) solely because of the alien's past, current, or expected beliefs, statements, or associations, if such beliefs, statements, or associations would be lawful within the United States.
(iii) Exception for other aliens
An alien, not described in clause (ii), shall not be excludable or subject to restrictions or conditions on entry into the United States under clause (i) because of the alien's past, current, or expected beliefs, statements, or associations, if such beliefs, statements, or associations would be lawful within the United States, unless the Secretary of State personally determines that the alien's admission would compromise a compelling United States foreign policy interest."

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