The first DSC Seed Grant of 2022 was awarded to Prof. Dr Christian Katzenbach and Dr Dennis Redeker to support the further development of the Platform Governance Archive (PGA). The PGA is a data repository that enables researchers, regulators, journalists and other users to critically examine the rules governing social media platforms. These include documents such as community guidelines, terms of service and privacy policies. Through an accessible interface, the archive allows users to trace and analyse substantial changes to platform rules over time.

The funded project focused on improving the automatic detection of changes in the rulebooks of major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. In close cooperation with the Open Terms Archive (OTA), the project aimed to adapt the technical and organisational procedures used to identify and document changes in platform governance documents. By strengthening the detection and maintenance of these changes, the project contributes to the long-term sustainability, reliability and accessibility of the PGA as a resource for platform governance research and public accountability.

Funding recipients:
Prof. Dr Christian Katzenbach, Faculty 9 – Cultural Studies, ZeMKI – Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research
Dr Dennis Redeker, Faculty 9 – Cultural Studies, ZeMKI – Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research

Funding period: 1 February 2022 – 31 January 2023