The Legal Significance of Independent Research based on Article 40 DSA for the Management of Systemic Risks in the Digital Services Act

As part of its risk management system, aiming at the mitigation of so-called systemic risks on very large online platforms and very large online search engines (VLOPSEs), the DSA introduces data access rights for independent researchers. With this instrument, the legislator hopes to enable the produ...

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Main Authors: Anna Liesenfeld, Herwig C.H. Hofmann, Felix Pflücke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-03-01
Series:European Journal of Risk Regulation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1867299X24000618/type/journal_article
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author Anna Liesenfeld
Herwig C.H. Hofmann
Felix Pflücke
author_facet Anna Liesenfeld
Herwig C.H. Hofmann
Felix Pflücke
author_sort Anna Liesenfeld
collection DOAJ
description As part of its risk management system, aiming at the mitigation of so-called systemic risks on very large online platforms and very large online search engines (VLOPSEs), the DSA introduces data access rights for independent researchers. With this instrument, the legislator hopes to enable the production of evidence concerning possible threats to society and democracy that might be linked to these platforms or search engines. After an overview of the functioning of the risk management system in the DSA that is characterised by a collaborative governance framework and a learning-based approach, the article will explore the role of the researchers inside this framework. It thereby focuses on the legal significance the researchers’ evidence could have for the risk mitigation obligations imposed on the VLOPSEs in the DSA by interpreting the provisions of the DSA.
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spelling doaj-art-79cee7c2f7fc4d568a668ea3f19bd5aa2025-08-20T13:03:13ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Journal of Risk Regulation1867-299X2190-82492025-03-011618419610.1017/err.2024.61The Legal Significance of Independent Research based on Article 40 DSA for the Management of Systemic Risks in the Digital Services ActAnna Liesenfeld0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6001-2808Herwig C.H. HofmannFelix PflückeUniversity of Freiburg, GermanyAs part of its risk management system, aiming at the mitigation of so-called systemic risks on very large online platforms and very large online search engines (VLOPSEs), the DSA introduces data access rights for independent researchers. With this instrument, the legislator hopes to enable the production of evidence concerning possible threats to society and democracy that might be linked to these platforms or search engines. After an overview of the functioning of the risk management system in the DSA that is characterised by a collaborative governance framework and a learning-based approach, the article will explore the role of the researchers inside this framework. It thereby focuses on the legal significance the researchers’ evidence could have for the risk mitigation obligations imposed on the VLOPSEs in the DSA by interpreting the provisions of the DSA.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1867299X24000618/type/journal_articledata access for researchersDSAplatform regulationrisk management systemsystemic risks
spellingShingle Anna Liesenfeld
Herwig C.H. Hofmann
Felix Pflücke
The Legal Significance of Independent Research based on Article 40 DSA for the Management of Systemic Risks in the Digital Services Act
European Journal of Risk Regulation
data access for researchers
DSA
platform regulation
risk management system
systemic risks
title The Legal Significance of Independent Research based on Article 40 DSA for the Management of Systemic Risks in the Digital Services Act
title_full The Legal Significance of Independent Research based on Article 40 DSA for the Management of Systemic Risks in the Digital Services Act
title_fullStr The Legal Significance of Independent Research based on Article 40 DSA for the Management of Systemic Risks in the Digital Services Act
title_full_unstemmed The Legal Significance of Independent Research based on Article 40 DSA for the Management of Systemic Risks in the Digital Services Act
title_short The Legal Significance of Independent Research based on Article 40 DSA for the Management of Systemic Risks in the Digital Services Act
title_sort legal significance of independent research based on article 40 dsa for the management of systemic risks in the digital services act
topic data access for researchers
DSA
platform regulation
risk management system
systemic risks
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1867299X24000618/type/journal_article
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