Together with the Society for Civil Rights (Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte,GFF),DRI has filed an urgent lawsuit against X at the Berlin Regional Court. The reason for the lawsuit is that the platform refuses to provide DRI with publicly available data in a systematic manner,such as the reach,number of likes,and shares of posts.
We use platform data to conduct large-scale research on political discourse on social media platforms ahead of elections in Europe,including the upcoming German federal election. Our research increases transparency regarding online trends such as the spread of disinformation narratives and misinformation risks,the volume and origins of hate speech online,and the existence and reach of foreign influence operations.
The lawsuit is based on the Digital Services Act (DSA),which requires platforms to grant researchers access to relevant data. “Other platforms have granted us access to systematically track public debates on their platforms,but X has refused to do so. We consider it our right under the Digital Services Act to access this data and contribute to the public good by shedding light on how political campaigns unfold on social media platforms,” says Michael Meyer-Resende,Executive Director of DRI.
The core of the lawsuit is to enforce a new legal provision in the DSA: the right to access research data (Article 40(12) DSA). This provision requires large online platforms to promptly grant researchers access to publicly available data on their platforms to investigate systemic risks. At the same time,the lawsuit seeks to clarify whether such cases can be brought to German courts or whether researchers need to go to Ireland.
“Platforms are increasingly being weaponised against democratic elections. We must defend ourselves by making manipulation mechanisms transparent and compelling platforms to take action against them,” says Simone Ruf,lawyer and deputy director of GFF’s Center for User Rights.
This lawsuit is part of the Center for User Rights,funded by Stiftung Mercator,Luminate,and the Open Society Foundation,through which GFF aims to strengthen,demand,and enforce users’ rights in a sustainable manner while correcting the existing power imbalance between online platforms and their users. Beyond this specific case,the goal is to hold platforms accountable to the public and to European laws. Social networks have a significant influence on public opinion and,consequently,on election processes. Access to relevant metrics from major platforms is a crucial tool in preventing election interference and the spread of disinformation.
Democracy Reporting Inteational (DRI) is an independent organisation dedicated to promoting democracy worldwide. We believe that people are active participants in public life,not subjects of their govements. Our work centres on analysis,reporting,and capacity-building. We monitor social media during elections to examine the influence of social media platforms on democratic public discourse and raise awareness of potential violations of current regulations,such as the DSA.
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