Today, Columbia World Projects and the Hertie School’s Centre for Digital Governance have released a new report outlining actionable recommendations to improve researcher access to social media data — a key step toward strengthening transparency, accountability, and democratic resilience worldwide.
The report, Building Capacity for Data Access, Analysis and Accountability, draws on insights from more than 120 experts across government, academia, civil society, and philanthropy from the United States and Europe. Over working group convenings between November 2024 and May 2025, participants examined the growing gap between what researchers need to understand how digital platforms function and what data they can actually access under existing legal and voluntary arrangements.
The effort is part of Digital Governance for Democratic Renewal, a transatlantic initiative supported by the Knight Foundation that strengthens ties between policy and research to advance more transparent and accountable digital governance. Since launching in September 2023, the initiative has convened more than 700 leading experts across closed-door sessions and public events to strengthen ties between policy and research, assess regulatory approaches, and support the implementation of new laws governing digital platforms.
“Social media platforms shape how billions receive information and engage in public life, yet the internal decisions driving how those systems operate remain largely opaque,” said Thomas Asher, Director of Research and Engagement at Columbia World Projects. “Without improved data access, neither researchers nor regulators can ensure how these systems operate and what they amplify aligns with democratic values or fundamental rights, including those linked to free speech.”
The report identifies a widening transparency deficit in how social media companies disclose information about their algorithms and content decisions, which limits citizens’ ability to make informed choices, constrains regulators from enforcing online safety rules, and impedes researchers from assessing risks to democratic institutions.
To address these hurdles, the report provides a roadmap for public and private funders to invest in sustainable, privacy-protective data access infrastructure. Recommendations are organized into three priority areas:
- Supporting Underlying Data Access Infrastructure: Establish secure, standardized mechanisms for researcher access that uphold strong privacy and data protection standards.
- Building Best Practices for the Research Community: Develop consistent technical, ethical, and procedural frameworks for responsible data use and sharing.
- Fostering Researcher–Regulator Relationships: Deepen collaboration and trust between independent researchers and regulatory authorities to advance accountability and policy learning.
Each recommendation includes proposed funding levels, timelines, and potential roles for public and private partners. Together, they offer a practical framework for enabling evidence-based policymaking and safeguarding democratic institutions in an era of rapid technological change.
“Funders have a critical window — within the next six to 12 months — to invest in foundational data access infrastructure,” said Mark Scott, Senior Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council. “These investments will not only improve platform accountability but also enhance societies’ ability to protect free expression, privacy, and the integrity of democratic discourse online.”
About Columbia World Projects
Columbia World Projects (CWP) is an initiative of Columbia University that connects policymakers, practitioners and researchers to explore pressing issues, including what sustains and ails liberal democracies around the world, while offering focused solutions for revitalizing democracy.
About the Centre for Digital Governance
The Centre for Digital Governance at the Hertie School is a gateway to governance of digital transformation, based in Berlin. The Centre promotes digitalization where appropriate to improve public well-being. To this end, the Centre enables and supports synergies between rigorous academic research, world-leading education and socially relevant policy insights on the challenges and opportunities of the digital era.