big tech

Big Tech's Data Stonewalling Is a Strategy, Not a Bug The Digital Services Act was supposed to be Europe's moment: a landmark law that would finally let independent researchers peek inside the algorithmic black boxes that shape billions of users' information diets. The rules are clear. Meta, TikTok, X, and other platforms must grant researchers access to platform data needed to study systemic risks—from election interference to mental health harms. It's enforceable. It's law. So why are researchers across Europe reporting that they can't actually get the data? The answer isn't bureaucratic confusion or technical incompetence. It's a calculated strategy…