New EU rules will give researchers access to data of Very Large Online Platforms

New EU rules have come into force that will give researchers access to the data of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) so they can study the social impact of these platforms.

VLOPs are platforms and search engines that have over 45 million users in the EU and which must comply with the most stringent rules of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). They include companies like Apple, Google, Meta, LinkedIn and Booking.com.

Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said: “Creating a safer online environment starts with studying the risks." She added: "Understanding the potential risks that online platforms can have on their users is another step in ensuring platforms' accountability.”

The measures, which came into force on 29/10/2025, will allow qualified researchers to request access to previously unavailable data from VLOPs and search engines.

The Commission said in a statement that platforms' data was a "key element in understanding the possible systemic risks stemming from, for example, recommender systems"…