A systematic shutdown of access to platform data has created what researchers call a “data desert.” Twitter’s free API powered 17K+ studies. CrowdTangle offered rare insight into content virality on FB. But today, that infrastructure has disappeared. Read: independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

The State of Independent Technology Research report maps the funding landscape for public-interest tech research – drawing on experiences from Coalition members across six continents. Read the full report! independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

Recent headlines, like reports on Meta and its stance on research related to youth harm, remind us why independent technology research is essential. Without it, risks are downplayed, critical inquiry is suppressed, and the public remains in the dark. Read ⬇️

85% of independent technology researchers surveyed identify funding as their most significant challenge. (1/2)

>35 years after the Web and >20 years of social media, we still lack clarity on tech’s impact. How systems are designed, what data trains them and whether they deepen inequality remain unanswered. (1/2)

The threats facing researchers vary significantly by geographic context, but no region appears immune from the broader pattern of increasing hostility toward critical technology research. Repost this with what’s happening in your context. (1/2)

📚 Independent research is essential, without it, we risk losing transparency and the ability to hold those in power accountable. @thecoalition.bsky.social's new report explores why public-driven research is vital for accountability and why it’s under threat today.

“When researchers with different methodological approaches, institutional contexts, and geographic perspectives unite around shared principles, they become much harder to dismiss or divide.” (1/2)

What barriers affect your research the most today? Repost/reply with your thoughts! 💭 (1/2)

@thecoalition.bsky.social just launched its report on the current state of independent tech research. TL;DR: It's not great. And this work is integral to building a good tech future. Dig in to the full report here ⤵️ @louisbarclay.bsky.social independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

How is independent tech research faring in 2025 amidst extraordinary headwinds & what can we do to preserve / grow it? A new report, "Power in Numbers" by @thecoalition.bsky.social summarizes the struggle for public-interest tech research worldwide. independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

This is a very important report from @thecoalition.bsky.social on the challenges of technology research: "Across countries, support for public-interest research on technology is rapidly eroding, just as society’s need for it grows more urgent" independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

The need for independent research grows but the ability to do this work is being threatened. The @thecoalition.bsky.social is not idly standing by. We're building collective power to defend the right to research and free information. Read our report today independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

This is a really important report about the challenges faced by people doing #independent #tech #research: funding, personal security and data access feature high up on the list; by @thecoalition.bsky.social Great illustrations and it's full of examples 🎉 independenttechresearch.org/citr-report-...

The @thecoalition.bsky.social, of which CDT is a member, just launched a new report titled, “The State of Independent Technology Research 2025: Power in Numbers.” independenttechresea...

Today, we’re proud to share the Coalition’s new report: The State of Independent Technology Research: Power in Numbers It's an offering to our community and all researchers doing public interest work–a reflection of collective strength, solidarity and persistence in the face of adversity. (1/2)

📢 New Report: “Ethical Use of Pervasive Data for Research - Actions for Academia and Civil Society” Authored by Coalition member Anna Lenhart, this report outlines concrete next steps for academia, civil society, and philanthropic funders to propel ethical computing research forward. Read here! ⬇️

📉 The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom’s 2025 Media Pluralism Monitor is live - mapping risks to media freedom and journalist safety across 32 European countries. It also tracks ownership, editorial independence, and inclusivity. Read here ⬇️

Report by Ofcom – the UK’s communications regulator – on how researchers could gain better access to information to support work on online safety matters. Read here ⬇️

How do "community" fact-checking tools operate in South Asia where misinformation is entangled with high levels of political polarization, religious & ethnic divisions, and a massive user base generating multilingual content? Read this new report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate ⬇️

✨ Spotted: Coalition members connecting IRL off the sidelines of the ICA Conference in Denver, Colorado! 😍 Here’s a snapshot of a recent meetup with J. Nathan Matias, Rebekah Tromble, Emma Briant, & Francois Heinderyckx – continuing threads from ongoing conversations at the Coalition, IRL! (1/2)

The EC has adopted a delegated act outlining rules granting data access for qualified researchers under the DSA, allowing research on systemic risks & mitigation measures. A step forward for independent research but a concern still remains: Are application-vetting processes workable & inclusive? 📖 ⬇️

This Lawfare article explains how far-right groups have reframed the DSA conversation, presenting tech companies as champions of free speech. For researchers, this politicization makes an already tricky regulatory environment more difficult. Read 📖 ⬇️

A 10-country survey led by Coalition member @yannistheocharis.bsky.social of the Technical University of Munich Think Tank (with the University of Oxford) finds that most people support content moderation on social media to restrict harmful behavior, even as large tech companies push back. Read 👇

What happens when Big Tech shapes narratives about its own accountability? This new report by the Norman Lear Center with support from Luminate, examines how major media outlets cover harms perpetuated by the tech industry. 💡 Read ⬇️ learcenter.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/OffTheHook_B...

X’s lawsuit against New York’s Stop Hiding Hate Act is a barrier for tech researchers. By challenging laws requiring companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, disinformation & foreign political interference, X signals that it prefers transparency requirements stay behind closed doors. 📖 ⬇️

📣 New report: Tiktok's Research API: Problems without Explanations @aiforensics.org's latest report reveals that TikTok's Research API fails to provide metadata for 1 in 8 videos, undermining independent research efforts. Read ⬇️ (1/2)

@counterhate.com has published a guide to anti-LGBTQ+ online hate and disinformation. It unpacks how anti-LGBTQ+ hate plays out online, how it impacts lives, and who pushes them. The guide also lists some useful resources. Read ⬇️

🔊Our Executive Director, @sandraaceng.bsky.social will be moderating a panel discussion tomorrow hosted by UN Women & SVRI. The panel will unpack international developments, accountability gaps & strategies for tackling Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence globally. 🔗: shorturl.at/QVLtZ

“Most users do not want unregulated spaces. They view moderation as essential to sustaining democratic discourse.” Read a compelling analysis by Coalition members and allies challenging the narratives of large tech companies and shining light on the public desire for free and fair digital spaces.⬇️

Check out this panel from the Cambridge Disinformation Summit! 💻 Coalition member Dr. Emma Briant, from University of Notre Dame, leads a discussion of how to manage reputational, legal, online, and physical threats to academic researchers.

Knitting Our Internet – a journey through the history (and possible futures) of the web.🌐🧶 On 11 June, our member Tommaso Marmo leads a convo on making complex topics click with diverse audiences. Researchers, technologists, community builders – this one’s for you! ⚡ Register now! 📚 ournet.rocks

Our Program Coordinator Debarati is headed to the DRAPAC Digital Rights National Meet-up in India. The meetup will surface digital rights issues requiring attention and resources; we'll exchange strategies for resilience and advocacy & explore collaboration among digital rights communities. Read ⬇️

@aoir.bsky.social’s Risky Research Guide is out! Check out this essential resource for researchers navigating personal, political, and institutional risks – especially in fields like disinformation and extremism to LGBTQ+ rights, platform governance, and climate change. 👇

Coalition member @glaad.bsky.social's 2025 Social Media Safety Index is out! They evaluated 6 major platforms, and none scored over 60/100 on LGBTQ+ safety. Check out the findings & recommendations, and share the report! ⬇️

Our Community Manager Claire Park will be joining Issue One & its Council for Responsible Social Media at Notre Dame next week for a convening to collectively address the mental & civic impacts of technology in America. We look forward to connecting, learning & bringing back insights. Read more👇

Are you a community organizer, journalist, or academic in the Portland OR / PNW area interested in tech accountability? Join Consumer Reports + CAT Lab + @thecoalition.bsky.social for a hangout, Wednesday May 28th at 5:30pm for a coffee/happy hour! action.consumerreports.org/20250528port...

Hands up if you’re going to CAPS 2025! 🙌 The CITR crew will be there speaking at the session "Participatory Science about Technology & Society". In this session, hear from community leaders, journalists, and academics who are advancing participatory science about digital technology. Learn more ⬇️

The Association for Progressive Communications and Open Net Korea are inviting applications to the School on Platform Governance (SoPG) 2025. 👩‍💻 Apply by May 25! 📆 Learn more👇

Going to re:publica25? @re-publica.com ✊ So are our Executive Director, members, and allies - Brandi Geurkink, Anna-Katharina Meßmer, Philipp Lorenz-Spreen & Oliver Marsh - all who will be speaking at the session titled "Protecting Democracy Online: What Next?" 📆 28 May 2025 | Learn more ⬇️

Researchers need to come together in coalitions built on shared commitments & values that can offer mutual aid and safety in numbers. Orgs such as the @thecoalition.bsky.social, scientific societies, & local AAUP chapters can all offer both solidarity and action to support American research. 4/

Out now: GLAAD’s 2025 Social Media Safety Index illuminates how tech companies have intentionally rolled back safety policies for LGBTQ people. Platforms have received critically low scores, and this year’s findings are especially concerning.

A hard-hitting new report from the US-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate examines the role of Twitter - and Elon Musk directly - in amplifying "racialised grooming gang narratives" online: www.csohate.org/2025/05/12/e...

This week, German courts sent a clear message to platforms: European law protects public-interest research and those protections are enforceable. Our members DRI and GFF challenged X’s refusal to provide DRI researchers with data access applied for under DSA 40.12, and won! ✊ Read👉 bit.ly/DRI-GFF

“Indigenous nations as peoples & communities have a communal right to also understand who's using their data, to specifically consent to different types of data usages.” Read ICT's interview with Coalition member Krystal Tsosie, who is working for Indigenous peoples' genomic data sovereignty.(1/2)

Coalition member @brandonsilverman.bsky.social will be speaking at the upcoming Future of Social Media Transparency event - as part of the Spring Speaker Series hosted by the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University. Read more ⬇️ (1/4)

A workshop led by Coalition members and allies Shayne Longpre, Ruth Elisabeth Appel, Claire Pershan, Mark Scott, Maximilian Gahntz and Kevin Klyman brought together AI and social media researchers to evaluate approaches to promoting independent research and transparency. (1/3)

We’re growing, and we want you with us! The Coalition for Independent Technology Research is a global community of researchers demanding transparency and supporting public understanding about the societal impacts of technology. (1/4)