Final report: Improving research access to social media data
An independent expert Taskforce established by Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) has published its final report on how the UK can improve access to social media data for research into online harms.
The Social Platforms Data Access Taskforce Final Report concludes that researchers still face significant barriers to accessing the social media data needed to study issues ranging from children’s wellbeing and online safety to misinformation, public health and national security.
Produced after a year-long programme of evidence gathering and engagement with researchers, regulators, civil society organisations and policymakers, the report outlines steps that could help create a more secure framework for researchers to access social media data in the UK.
The Taskforce was co-chaired by Professor Katharine Dommett (University of Sheffield) and Professor Amy Orben (University of Cambridge). Its final report builds on an interim publication released earlier in 2026 and is intended to inform and support ongoing policy discussions around researcher access to platform data.
Growing challenges for researchers
Access to social media data has become increasingly limited in recent years, as social platforms have restricted or withdrawn research tools and data access routes. These changes have made it more difficult for independent researchers to investigate online harms and evaluate whether interventions designed to address them are effective.
A window of opportunity for the UK
The report says the UK has a significant opportunity to strengthen its approach to social media data access for researchers, pointing to recent developments including the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and Ofcom’s work on researcher access to information from regulated online services. This provides a foundation for future reforms.
Improving access to platform data would help strengthen the evidence base underpinning online safety policy, support independent assessment of measures introduced under the Online Safety Act, and contribute more broadly to evidence-based policymaking and the evaluation of regulatory interventions. The Taskforce concludes that, with these foundations in place, the UK is well positioned to become a global leader in enabling secure, lawful and scalable access to social media data for research in the public interest.
Three recommended pathways
The report identifies three complementary routes for improving access to social media data in line with Ofcom’s own conclusion that no single mechanism can meet the full range of researcher needs; and that a layered approach offers the best prospect of success.
- The first is public interest web-scraping, with the Taskforce recommending clearer legal and regulatory guidance to provide researchers and institutions with greater certainty when collecting publicly available information.
- The second is data donation, whereby individuals voluntarily share data they receive from social media platforms with researchers. The report recommends measures to strengthen and standardise this approach.
- The third and most significant proposal is the creation of a statutory social media data intermediary. The Taskforce envisages an independent organisation that could help manage researcher accreditation, data governance and secure access arrangements, providing a consistent point of engagement for both researchers and platforms.
Alongside these reforms, the report emphasises the continued importance of platform-provided APIs and other direct access mechanisms, particularly for research requiring real-time data.
About the Taskforce
The Social Platforms Data Access Taskforce was established by Smart Data Research UK to examine how researcher access to social media data can be made more responsible, ethical and secure. The independent Taskforce brought together experts from academia, regulation, policy and civil society.
The report is the Taskforce’s independent work, and its views, conclusions and recommendations are theirs rather than those of Smart Data Research UK (SDR UK) or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). SDR UK welcomes the report and finds its recommendations to be a valuable, evidence-based contribution to this important issue.
The taskforce welcomes engagement from across the research, policy, and industry communities. If you have questions or want to get in touch email: taskforce@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk.
