Ongoing work at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) over the past several years, including our 2018 “To Secure Knowledge” report, has identified the importance of access to socially-relevant data in order for researchers to address large issues that inform, empower, and protect the public interest. Much of this data, including social media and the algorithms that determine how information is shared, is proprietary, held by private companies and inaccessible for independent research projects.