TWON researcher Damian Trilling was invited to an ERC workshop on Article 40 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), held in October 2025 in Brussels. At the workshop, he shared insights from the Twin of Online Social Networks project with EU policy makers, focusing on the regulatory conditions needed to support research on platform dynamics.
Drawing on TWON’s experiences, Damian Trilling highlighted the importance of reliable data access for studying online social networks and developing digital twins. In particular, he addressed the challenges posed by limited access to platform data, which can affect the calibration and evaluation of digital twin models.
The exchange contributed to ongoing discussions about how regulatory frameworks such as the DSA can support independent research, transparency and accountability in the study of digital platforms.