Commission adopts delegated act on data access

On 2 July, the Commission approved a delegated act that establishes the guidelines for granting qualified researchers access to data under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This new act allows approved researchers to obtain internal data from very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs) in order to study systemic risks and how these risks are addressed within the European Union.

The delegated act specifies the steps that VLOPs and VLOSEs must follow when providing data to accredited researchers, detailing the formats in which data should be delivered and the documentation that needs to accompany the data. It also lays out what information must be published by Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs), VLOPs, and VLOSEs to help researchers apply for access to the relevant datasets.

Following the adoption of this act, the Commission will introduce a DSA data access portal. Through this platform, researchers will be able to find information on how to request access, communicate with VLOPs, VLOSEs, and DSCs, and manage their applications for data access under the new system.

With today’s adoption, the delegated act enters the scrutiny period for the Parliament and Council, which will last for the next three months. The rules will enter into force at the end of this period, with the publication in the Official Journal. This is when the first researchers can be vetted.

For more information:

EC News