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Meta and TikTok are obstructing researchers' access to data, EU commission rules

(www.science.org)
187 points anigbrowl | 9 comments | 29 Oct 25 22:54 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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paxys ◴[29 Oct 25 23:09 UTC] No.45754300[source]▶
Remember that Cambridge Analytica was "research" as well. Laws like these sound good on paper, but it's the company that has to deal with the fallout when the data is used improperly. Unless the government can also come up with a fool proof framework for data sharing and enforce adequate protections, it's always going to be better for the companies to just say no and eat the fines.
replies(5): >>45754398 #>>45754429 #>>45754448 #>>45755093 #>>45755396 #
verst ◴[29 Oct 25 23:20 UTC] No.45754429[source]▶
As I recall it Cambridge Analytica was a ton of OAuth apps (mostly games and quizzes) requesting all or most account permissions and then sharing this account data (the access for which had been expressly (foolishly) granted by the user) with a third-party data aggregator, namely Cambridge Analytica. Only this re-sharing of data with a third party was against Facebook Terms of Service.

I would not classify Cambridge Analytica as research. They were a data broker that used the data for political polling.

replies(1): >>45755032 #
paxys ◴[30 Oct 25 00:38 UTC] No.45755032[source]▶
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Analytica

> The New York Times and The Observer reported that the company had acquired and used personal data about Facebook users from an external researcher who had told Facebook he was collecting it for academic purposes.

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1. tguvot ◴[30 Oct 25 01:15 UTC] No.45755288[source]▶
link from sentence that you copy pasted https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook%E2%80%93Cambridge_Ana...

The data was collected through an app called "This Is Your Digital Life", developed by data scientist Aleksandr Kogan and his company Global Science Research in 2013.[2] The app consisted of a series of questions to build psychological profiles on users, and collected the personal data of the users' Facebook friends via Facebook's Open Graph platform.[2] The app harvested the data of up to 87 million Facebook profiles

replies(1): >>45755390 #
2. pms ◴[30 Oct 25 01:29 UTC] No.45755390[source]▶
This "research" and data access wouldn't be allowed under the DSA, because (i) the researcher didn't provide any data protection safeguards, (ii) his university (and data protection officer) didn't assume legal liability for his research, (iii) his research isn't focused on systemic risks to society.
replies(1): >>45755591 #
3. tguvot ◴[30 Oct 25 01:58 UTC] No.45755591[source]▶
not sure what's the point that you are making. but under "common sense comments act of 2054" unclear comments are not allowed.
replies(1): >>45755647 #
4. brendoelfrendo ◴[30 Oct 25 02:06 UTC] No.45755647{3}[source]▶
The article for this post is about the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). Since the original comment argues against research access to data by arguing that "Cambridge Analytica was research as well," another poster chimed in to rebut that assertion by arguing that Aleksandr Kogan's research would not have been allowed access to user data under the DSA and thus, that specific legal concern is moot.
replies(1): >>45755744 #
5. tguvot ◴[30 Oct 25 02:20 UTC] No.45755744{4}[source]▶
kogan "research" harvested data through application and he was outside of eu.

so even it was happening today, whatever he did is irrelevant to EU/DSA unless they plan to chase everybody across the globe. somewhat like ofcom going after 4chan

replies(1): >>45756862 #
6. shakna ◴[30 Oct 25 06:07 UTC] No.45756862{5}[source]▶
That's precisely what the EU is doing with Clearview AI [0].

> Max Schrems: “We even run cross-border criminal procedures for stolen bikes, so we hope that the public prosecutor also takes action when the personal data of billions of people was stolen – as has been confirmed by multiple authorities.”

[0] https://noyb.eu/en/criminal-complaint-against-facial-recogni...

replies(1): >>45756951 #
7. tguvot ◴[30 Oct 25 06:23 UTC] No.45756951{6}[source]▶
Based on your quote looks like this is what eu not doing.

I like this quote more

Max Schrems: “Clearview AI seems to simply ignore EU fundamental rights and just spits in the face of EU authorities.”

replies(1): >>45757184 #
8. shakna ◴[30 Oct 25 07:08 UTC] No.45757184{7}[source]▶
Hence why the upgrade to criminal charges against the company's officials.

There is _not_ a lack of action on behalf of the EU, here. They are "chasing" those responsible.

replies(1): >>45757378 #
9. tguvot ◴[30 Oct 25 07:43 UTC] No.45757378{8}[source]▶
Ohh.. the upgrade will surely make them rethink the error of their ways and will come begging EU for forgiveness.