Verified Researchers and Data Access
Verified Researchers and Data Access - Article 40 DSA
The European Commission has adopted a delegated regulation under Article 40 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), establishing the technical conditions and procedures under which providers of very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs) may share data with verified researchers. The regulation aims to detect, identify, and understand systemic risks within the Union and to assess measures for their mitigation. It also provides access to non-publicly available data while ensuring strict compliance with security, confidentiality, and personal data protection requirements.
The regulation specifies how VLOPs and VLOSEs exchange data with verified researchers, including requirements for data documentation—such as metadata, structural descriptions, and change logs—and appropriate access methods, including APIs or secure processing environments. It also defines the information that the Digital Services Coordinator (DSC), VLOPs, and VLOSEs must publish to facilitate access to relevant datasets, as well as the establishment and functions of the DSA Data Access Portal.
The status of a “verified researcher” is granted by the digital services coordinator in the Member State of the researcher’s principal place of business within a VLOP or VLOSE whose data the researcher seeks to access. An application may also be submitted to the coordinator in the Member State where the researcher’s affiliated organisation is located; in such cases, that coordinator conducts an initial assessment, while the final decision on granting the status remains with the coordinator of the researcher’s principal place of business.
Applicants for this status must demonstrate affiliation with a recognised research organisation, independence from commercial interests, and the capability to manage the requested data in accordance with applicable rules on security, confidentiality, and privacy protection. They are also required to disclose the funding of the project for which the data are requested and to commit to publishing the results of their research. Access is granted only to the extent necessary and proportionate for research on systemic risks and the evaluation of mitigation measures.
The Commission has established the DSA Data Access Portal, a central platform through which researchers may submit requests and exchange information with VLOPs, VLOSEs, and digital services coordinators regarding the data access procedure.
Researchers from Croatia submit their applications through this Portal and may contact HAKOM for information and support via the DSA contact point: [email protected]
The European Commission has adopted a delegated regulation under Article 40 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), establishing the technical conditions and procedures under which providers of very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs) may share data with verified researchers. The regulation aims to detect, identify, and understand systemic risks within the Union and to assess measures for their mitigation. It also provides access to non-publicly available data while ensuring strict compliance with security, confidentiality, and personal data protection requirements.
The regulation specifies how VLOPs and VLOSEs exchange data with verified researchers, including requirements for data documentation—such as metadata, structural descriptions, and change logs—and appropriate access methods, including APIs or secure processing environments. It also defines the information that the Digital Services Coordinator (DSC), VLOPs, and VLOSEs must publish to facilitate access to relevant datasets, as well as the establishment and functions of the DSA Data Access Portal.
The status of a “verified researcher” is granted by the digital services coordinator in the Member State of the researcher’s principal place of business within a VLOP or VLOSE whose data the researcher seeks to access. An application may also be submitted to the coordinator in the Member State where the researcher’s affiliated organisation is located; in such cases, that coordinator conducts an initial assessment, while the final decision on granting the status remains with the coordinator of the researcher’s principal place of business.
Applicants for this status must demonstrate affiliation with a recognised research organisation, independence from commercial interests, and the capability to manage the requested data in accordance with applicable rules on security, confidentiality, and privacy protection. They are also required to disclose the funding of the project for which the data are requested and to commit to publishing the results of their research. Access is granted only to the extent necessary and proportionate for research on systemic risks and the evaluation of mitigation measures.
The Commission has established the DSA Data Access Portal, a central platform through which researchers may submit requests and exchange information with VLOPs, VLOSEs, and digital services coordinators regarding the data access procedure.
Researchers from Croatia submit their applications through this Portal and may contact HAKOM for information and support via the DSA contact point: [email protected]