Learning to Share: Lessons on Data-Sharing from Beyond Social Media

What role has social media played in society? Did it influence the rise of Trumpism in the U.S. and the passage of Brexit in the UK? What about the way authoritarians exercise power in India or China? Has social media undermined teenage mental health? What about its role in building social and community capital, promoting economic development, and so on? To answer these and other important policy-related questions, researchers such as academics, journalists and others need access to data from social media companies. However, this data is generally not available to researchers outside of social media companies and, where it is available, it is often insufficient, meaning that we are left with incomplete answers. The problem is complex but not intractable. In this report, we look to other industries where companies share data with researchers while also addressing privacy and other concerns. In doing so, our analysis contributes to current public and corporate discussions about how to safely and effectively share social media data with researchers. We review experiences based on the governance of clinical trials, electricity smart meters, and environmental impact data.