20-7-2023 (BRUSSELS) TikTok, the popular short-video app, has taken a proactive step by opening its research software to researchers in Europe ahead of the implementation of new EU regulations aimed at increasing online content moderation by Big Tech companies.
TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese technology giant ByteDance, is among the 19 online platforms and search engines that will be subjected to stricter requirements starting from August under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
While awaiting the European Commission’s technical guidelines for the application programming interface (API) to access its data, TikTok has decided to move forward independently.
In a statement, the social media platform said, “TikTok is proactively rolling out its Research API ahead of further technical guidance and launching a commercial content library ahead of the DSA compliance deadline.”
Researchers interested in accessing TikTok’s data through the Research API will need to have their own TikTok for Developers account and be located in either the United States or Europe.
Earlier this year, TikTok had already released an initial version of its Research API to academic researchers in the United States.
Additionally, TikTok is now allowing researchers access to its commercial content API. This move is in line with the DSA’s transparency requirements on paid advertising, as the company is opening up its database to provide information about paid ads and ad metadata.
