Article 1 Subject matter

This is a foundational article that defines the scope and purpose of the regulation.

It establishes that the regulation exists to implement Article 40(4) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (the Digital Services Act), specifically by setting out the rules and technical framework that govern how vetted researchers can gain access to data held by very large online platforms and very large online search engines.

Rather than creating substantive rights itself, this article signals what the rest of the regulation will address: the data access portal, the management of the access process, and the conditions under which data providers must share data.

Important points:

• This regulation directly implements and operationalises Article 40(4) of the Digital Services Act, so it cannot be read in isolation from that parent obligation.
• The regulation governs three key actors: vetted researchers seeking data, Digital Services Coordinators managing the process, and data providers obligated to share data.
• Data providers are subject to technical conditions governing how they must provide access to data.