Commission requests information from 17 major online platforms and search engines regarding data access under Digital Services Act

The European Commission has issued formal requests for information under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to 17 Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines (VLOPs and VLOSEs) designated on April 25, 2023. The platforms include AliExpress, Amazon Store, AppStore, Bing, Booking.com, Facebook, Google Search, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Shopping, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and Zalando. These requests aim to obtain detailed information on the measures these platforms have taken to comply with the obligation to grant access, promptly and without undue delay, to publicly accessible data on their online interfaces for eligible researchers.

The access to data by researchers plays a crucial role in ensu