Call for evidence: Researchers’ access to information from regulated online services

This is a call for evidence for the report that Ofcom must produce under the Act about researchers’ access to information from online services to study online safety matters.

The Act requires Ofcom to report on how and to what extent independent researchers access information about online safety matters from providers of regulated services. The report will also explore the current constraints on information sharing for research purposes and assess whether greater access might be achieved. This call for evidence is to give stakeholders an opportunity to provide information and evidence which Ofcom can take into consideration when producing the report.

We are seeking evidence and input on the following:

• how and to what extent independent researchers currently access information from providers of regulated services;
• the challenges that currently constrain information sharing for these purposes; and,
• how greater access to this information might be achieved.

We are also open to receiving evidence about how researchers have overcome information sharing constraints in areas other than online safety, where that might demonstrate what effective data governance or data-sharing mechanisms are available.

Taking into account responses to this call for evidence and other relevant input, we will then prepare our report, which will be submitted to Government within 18 months of the relevant sections of the Act coming into force and then laid before Parliament. We will also publish the report on Ofcom’s website.

Responding to this Call for evidence

Please submit responses using the response form no later than 5pm on 17th January 2025.