Workshop on data access for research

On October 12, 2023, Arcom and PEReN are organizing a workshop on data access for research. The aim? To enable researchers to discuss the impact of the DSA on their work, to assess whether its implementation would resolve certain difficulties in accessing data for research, and to discuss the process of this access.

Why a workshop on data access for research?
The recent adoption of the Digital Services Act (DSA) provides a new regulatory framework to increase transparency and accountability of the major online platforms. This regulatory transformation creates the ideal conditions for an in-depth study of the systemic risks associated with the rapid development of the digital technology. In particular, Article 40 of the DSA (Data Access and Control) aims to establish a transparent and clear process for accessing data for research. These new possibilities for data access will increase the collective capacities to identify and analyze systemic risks generated by online platforms.

Arcom has already contributed to the subject by launching a public consultation on data access for researchers. The summary of this consultation, published in June 2023, puts forward a series of proposals for a good implementation of the DSA. The PEReN actively contributes to the discussion around algorithmic audits and participates in the discussion on necessary data access ( see the French response to the European consultation on the implementation of Article 40 of the DSA).

To extend these initiatives, the Research Department of Arcom togeter with PEReN are organizing a workshop on data access for researchers. The objective of this workshop is discussing with researchers in which ways their work could be affected by the implementation of the DSA, to assess whether this implementation would solve difficulties related to data access, and to take a closer look at the whole data access process.

Detailed program
Led by researchers from PEReN and Arcom and organised around two panels, the event will open up an interactive discussion on data access: what data would have been necessary to deepen some of your analyzes? What data would be relevant to request from the platforms as part of the DSA to conduct future studies? What information about algorithms would you need? What metadata?

• 13h30 – 13h45 : Welcoming coffee
• 13h45 – 14h00 : Introduction by Arcom and PEReN
• 14h00 - 16h00 : Panel 1: What technical approach is needed to improve platform transparency?
  Based on the speakers' experience in analyzing online platforms, this panel will explore the difficulties encountered and the technical means of overcoming them. More specifically, the discussion may involve, on the one hand, comparing data obtained via a platform's API with data obtained by scraping, and on the other, exploring the extent to which understanding the data collected on users by online platforms (and their mobile versions) is crucial for analyzing the platform itself and respecting the privacy of their users.
  • Speakers : Inna Lyubareva (Institut Mines-Telecom), Erevan Malroux (CNIL), Esther Onfroy (Defensive Lab Agency), Gilles Tredan (LAAS CNRS)
  • Panel moderator : Camilla Penzo (PEReN)
• 16h00 – 16h30 : Coffee break
• 16h30 – 18h30 : Panel 2: Data access: how to meet research needs?
  This panel proposes to discuss data access needs in relation to the different research questions and methodologies that seek to contribute to a better understanding of potential systemic risks posed by platforms in Europe. It will also question the type of data needed and the process for accessing it, to ensure, on the one hand, consistency with the specificity of the academic community in terms of work organization and diversity of research questions, and on the other, respect for academic freedom and the protection of personal data. Finally, the panel will address the question of setting up independent consultative mechanisms to rule on issues of a subjective nature, such as the proportionality of the data requested by the academic community in relation to the purposes pursued by its research.
  • Speakers : Christine Balagué (Institut Mines-Télécom), Anne Bellon (Centre Internet et Société, CNRS), David Chavalarias (CNRS ISC), Becca Ricks (Mozilla), Julien Rossi (CEMTI Paris 8)
  • Panel moderator : Shaden Shabayek (PEReN)

Registration
All interested researchers and civil society are invited to participate. The event will take place at Arcom. Available seats will be limited to 20 in order to facilitate exchanges, but an online link will be distributed after registration. Please register by October, 10 at noon via the following link and we will contact you to confirm registration. We count on your input and participation to shape the future of data access for research.

Organisation

• Arcom : Victor Alamercery, Elisa Mougin, Didier Wang (didier.wang@arcom.fr)
• PEReN : Camilla Penzo (camilla.penzo@peren.gouv.fr), Shaden Shabayek (shaden.shabayek@peren.gouv.fr)