Arcom welcomes the entry into force of the scheme to give researchers access to data from very large platforms, and will actively contribute to its implementation.
Arcom welcomes the entry into force on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 of the European Commission's Delegated Act, which specifies how very large online platforms must henceforth make their non-public data securely accessible to accredited researchers.
A direct consequence of the European Digital Services Act(DSA), whose implementation began in February 2024, this ground-breaking scheme, detailed in Article 40 of the DSA, gives European researchers access to the data of these very large online platforms for the first time.
Founded on the principles of transparency and responsibility, it should enable us to work collectively towards a safer Internet, by enabling researchers to:
- document, thanks to their work, the potential risks to which online users - especially those under 18 - may be exposed, linked in particular to the algorithmic models of the digital giants, frequently denounced by child protection associations (e.g.: risks of addiction linked to infinite scrolling functionalities; push, in users' feeds, of content unsuitable for their age...).
- Alert the European Commission and national regulators so that they can take legal sanctions where appropriate.
Arcom intends to play an active role in the implementation of this new scheme, which will further strengthen its ties with academic research players in France and Europe.
Because research plays an essential role in understanding the new challenges posed by the digital rise, and in informing the work of regulators, on November 13 in Paris, the Autorité will be bringing together more than twenty academics for its 4th "Arcom Study Day", in partnership with ENS Paris-Saclay. These researchers, from leading European research centers, will be presenting their work in the audiovisuel and digital fields.
Why allow researchers access to data from major online platforms?
The Digital Services Regulation (DSR) aims to promote a safer Internet within the European Union, in particular by imposing strengthening obligations on very large online platforms (45 million users) in terms of the transparency of their operations. Article 40 of the RSN meets this objective by enabling researchers to observe how platforms use their algorithms to individualize the content offered by their services, and what they know about the preferences and habits of their users. By making available to researchers the data that only platforms hold, the RSN supplies them with new opportunities to understand the real impacts these platforms are having on our societies.
What role will Arcom play in implementing Article 40 of the RSN?
As of today, researchers can request access to data from a very large online platform for a specific research project of public interest. The coordinator for digital services (CSN) in the country of establishment of the platform targeted by the research project authorizes this access, via an approval proceedings. This is based on an initial assessment of the researcher's demand, carried out by the CSN in the researcher's country of origin. Arcom is committed to assisting French researchers in the preparation of their applications, and is ready to study any pre-evaluation requests received. Researchers interested in the approval proceedings can contact Arcom before submitting their demand at acces-aux-donnees@arcom.fr.
European Commission press release.
Press release
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