Social Platforms Data Access Taskforce
Championing research access to social media data that benefits the public
The challenge
In the UK, researchers face significant barriers in accessing data from digital social platforms. These challenges include over-reliance on specific platforms, limited engagement with data owners, and skills gaps in data analysis. The increasingly restricted access to platform data exemplifies the challenges researchers face in accessing necessary data.
Social platforms affect society in complex ways – from cyberbullying and disinformation to the influence of online communities, digital learning, and the evolving nature of social interaction. These impacts span social media, video-sharing services, messaging apps, online forums, livestreaming platforms, and other regulated digital services that shape modern public life.
We need solutions that balance privacy, innovation and responsibility while enabling research that benefits the public across themes like digital society, health and wellbeing, education, and democracy.
“There’s a limit to how much we can understand about digital life without proper access to platform data. Sorting this out now is crucial if we are to unlock insights that benefit the public in areas like health, education, and democracy.”
Joe Cuddeford, Director of Smart Data Research UK
The mission
Smart Data Research UK has established the Social Platforms Data Access Taskforce to champion responsible, ethical, and secure access to data from a wide range of online social platforms. The taskforce will advocate for policies and practices that enable responsible and ethical data access while engaging with Ofcom, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and other stakeholders on research access to data from regulated online services.
A core focus of the taskforce is to shape how the UK’s Data Use and Access Act 2025 provisions are implemented, actively contributing to Ofcom’s consultation process to ensure new regulatory powers support safe, ethical, and effective research access.
| 🔍 Data Access Models |
| ⚖️ Policy & Practice |
| 🤝 Stakeholder Engagement |
| 🌟 Community Leadership |
Project timeline
Phase 1: Foundation
Literature review, stakeholder mapping, and establishment of working groups.
Phase 2: Evidence gathering
Stakeholder engagement sessions, international landscape analysis, and policy workshops with government stakeholders.
Phase 3: Model development
Draft data access framework recommendations, legal/ethical scoping.
Phase 4: Implementation
Final recommendations publication, policy briefings, parliamentary engagement.
Leadership team
Dr Amy Orben (Co-Chair)
A UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Cambridge, Amy Orben leads internationally recognised research on the links between mental health and digital technology use in adolescence and regularly advises policymakers worldwide.
Professor Kate Dommett (Co-Chair)
Professor of Digital Politics at the University of Sheffield, specialising in the impact of digital technology on electoral politics, Kate Dommett previously served as Special Advisor to the House of Lords Committee on Democracy and Digital Technology.
Dr David Zendle
An expert in data donation and ethical data infrastructure development, David Zendle directs the Smart Data Donation Service, one of Smart Data Research UK’s six data services. David’s work focuses on the development of scalable systems that allow individuals to safely donate their digital data for research purposes.
Mark Scott
A senior resident fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab’s Democracy + Tech Initiative within the Atlantic Council Technology Programs, Mark Scott focuses on comparative digital policy, regulation, and governance across the EU, UK, and US.
Get involved
The taskforce welcomes engagement from across the research, policy, and industry communities. Here’s some ways you’ll be able to contribute:
Upcoming engagements
The taskforce will host a series of webinars and workshops to engage researchers, policymakers, industry, and civil society. These events will foster collaboration and help shape the work of the taskforce.
To register your interest, contact: smartdataresearch@ukri.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of data are we talking about?
The taskforce is focused on enabling research access to data from a wide range of online social platforms, including social media, video-sharing services, messaging apps, online forums, livestreaming platforms, and other regulated digital services that shape modern public life.
Is this going to impact free speech?
This taskforce is not about monitoring individuals or curbing free expression — it is about enabling responsible, ethical access to aggregated platform data for public-interest research.
What burdens will this put on social platforms?
The taskforce’s work aligns with the direction of travel set by the new Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which introduces legal mechanisms for enabling researcher access to platform data. Our aim is to support practical implementation by engaging with academia, civil society, government and industry to shape the future of research access to data from regulated online services.
What makes this taskforce different from previous initiatives?
The taskforce is uniquely positioned at a pivotal regulatory moment, with the Data Use and Access Act 2025 providing new legal mechanisms for data access. Unlike previous efforts, we’re working directly with government, Ofcom, and industry from the outset to shape implementation of these new powers. We’re also aiming to support sustainable, long-term solutions rather than one-off access arrangements.
Will the taskforce have any enforcement power?
The taskforce is not a regulatory body nor an enforcement mechanism — it is a convening space for thought leadership, grounded in academic freedom and enabling high-quality research in the public interest.
How will you protect user privacy while advocating for data access?
The taskforce is committed to developing solutions that balance privacy, innovation and responsibility. We advocate for responsible and ethical data access, and our work includes developing legal and ethical frameworks alongside any data access models
What types of research will benefit most?
We will support a broad range of research addressing many pressing societal challenges – including studies on online harms, digital society, health, democratic processes, and community building. We want to support research that serves the public interest, while understanding how digital platforms shape social interactions.