Data Structure Regulations in the United Kingdom: A Look at Data Access Structures
In the digital age, the value of data has never been more apparent. From fitness tracking applications like Strava to sewage companies, various organizations are sharing data to support public interests. However, navigating the complexities of data access and ensuring its responsible use is a critical challenge.
Strava, a popular fitness tracking app, shares aggregated data via its Strava Metro initiative with organizations involved in supporting active travel infrastructure. This data has been cited as a valuable resource by multiple Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans in the UK, helping to plan infrastructure investments and measure public engagement with natural environments. Academics have also used Strava data to study the use of cycling infrastructure during COVID-19-related lockdowns.
However, accessing and using sewage spill data has not been straightforward. Delays and obstacles due to investigations and non-compliance by water companies have made it challenging. Despite these challenges, researchers at environmental advocacy groups like Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP) have used sewage spill data to demonstrate unauthorized spills and potential environmental damage, leading to fines for three water companies totaling £168 million.
The UK's Office of Communications (Ofcom) has launched a public consultation on how and to what extent researchers access online platform data. This consultation is timely, as researcher access to data is necessary for public scrutiny in online safety cases. The consultation will feed into a report the regulator must produce under the Online Safety Act 2023.
Policymakers can design effective access-to-data frameworks for online platform data by focusing on responsible, ethical, and secure access mechanisms. Key design elements include mandating access for vetted independent researchers, establishing a regulatory framework that legally enforces data sharing by very large online platforms (VLOPs) and search engines, engaging stakeholders, setting technical standards, balancing data utility and privacy, providing centralized portals or APIs, and supporting continuous review and adaptation.
For instance, the UK’s Social Platforms Data Access Taskforce co-chaired by Professor Kate Dommett advocates for enhancing research access by developing practical and ethical solutions that overcome current barriers, engaging multiple stakeholders, and aligning with new legislation like the UK’s Data Use and Access Act 2025. Similarly, the EU’s Digital Services Act Delegated Act creates a regulated system where vetted researchers can access platform data on systemic risks and requires platforms to make information public, thus promoting accountability and independent inquiry while protecting privacy.
However, it's essential to remember that different actors may have different objectives and incentives, which can potentially obstruct independent scrutiny and research. For projects of public interest, datasets need to be representative of the general population to avoid biased services or overlooking harms against specific communities or groups. A data sharing process is likely to introduce frictions that can dissuade or slow down research, ultimately delaying projects.
In summary, effective frameworks combine legal mandates, ethical vetting, stakeholder collaboration, technical standards, and privacy safeguards to enable transparent, secure, and useful data access for independent research that ultimately serves the public good in the complex context of online platform data like social media. Making data available, such as Strava data, allows for it to be used by different actors with a variety of skills, perspectives, and motivations.
- Environmental scientists can utilize Strava data in collaboration with policy-and-legislation makers to plan infrastructure investments and measure public engagement with natural environments, thus contributing to the field of environmental-science.
- In the realm of politics, policymakers can design effective access-to-data frameworks for online platform data, including social media, to promote transparency, accountability, and independent inquiry, as exemplified by the UK's Data Use and Access Act 2025 and the EU's Digital Services Act Delegated Act.
- Climate-change research, for instance studying cycling infrastructure use during COVID-19 lockdowns, can greatly benefit from the responsible use of data from technology sources like Strava, contributing significantly to the general-news discourse and society's understanding of our changing environment.
