Algorithmic Transparency: The EU Digital Services Act and Young People’s Experiences of Online Platforms

Megan Nyhan; Pranav Narula; Izzy Fox; Kevin Doherty; Ruihai Dong; Barry O’sullivan; Josephine Griffith; Susan Leavy

Algorithmic Transparency: The EU Digital Services Act and Young People’s Experiences of Online Platforms

Megan Nyhan
, Pranav Narula
, Izzy Fox
, Kevin Doherty
, Ruihai Dong
, Barry O’sullivan
, Josephine Griffith
, Susan Leavy

University College Dublin
Dublin City University
University College Cork

Research output: Contribution to a Journal (Peer & Non Peer) › Conference article › peer-review

Abstract

The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) is currently being enforced across the EU, and several countries are introducing online safety regulations. As efforts to regulate digital spaces continue, so does evidence highlighting risks young people face from inappropriate content online, raising concerns about potential long-term psychological harm. To explore how the experiences of young people on large online platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, align with the focus of transparency obligations under the DSA, this paper provides details of a project that designed a series of stakeholder engagement studies. The project aims to demonstrate how engaging directly with young people on their experiences online is a vital measure to both inform the progress of the DSA and guide its implementation across the EU.

Original language	English
Journal	Proceedings of Machine Learning Research
Volume	294
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	4th European Workshop on Algorithmic Fairness, EWAF 2025 - Eindhoven, Netherlands Duration: 30 Jun 2025 → 2 Jul 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

Digital Services Act
Moderated Content
Recommender Systems
Trustworthy AI

Cite this

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title = "Algorithmic Transparency: The EU Digital Services Act and Young People{\textquoteright}s Experiences of Online Platforms",

abstract = "The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) is currently being enforced across the EU, and several countries are introducing online safety regulations. As efforts to regulate digital spaces continue, so does evidence highlighting risks young people face from inappropriate content online, raising concerns about potential long-term psychological harm. To explore how the experiences of young people on large online platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, align with the focus of transparency obligations under the DSA, this paper provides details of a project that designed a series of stakeholder engagement studies. The project aims to demonstrate how engaging directly with young people on their experiences online is a vital measure to both inform the progress of the DSA and guide its implementation across the EU.",

keywords = "Digital Services Act, Moderated Content, Recommender Systems, Trustworthy AI",

author = "Megan Nyhan and Pranav Narula and Izzy Fox and Kevin Doherty and Ruihai Dong and Barry O{\textquoteright}sullivan and Josephine Griffith and Susan Leavy",

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language = "English",

volume = "294",

journal = "Proceedings of Machine Learning Research",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Algorithmic Transparency

T2 - 4th European Workshop on Algorithmic Fairness, EWAF 2025

AU - Nyhan, Megan

AU - Narula, Pranav

AU - Fox, Izzy

AU - Doherty, Kevin

AU - Dong, Ruihai

AU - O’sullivan, Barry

AU - Griffith, Josephine

AU - Leavy, Susan

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) is currently being enforced across the EU, and several countries are introducing online safety regulations. As efforts to regulate digital spaces continue, so does evidence highlighting risks young people face from inappropriate content online, raising concerns about potential long-term psychological harm. To explore how the experiences of young people on large online platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, align with the focus of transparency obligations under the DSA, this paper provides details of a project that designed a series of stakeholder engagement studies. The project aims to demonstrate how engaging directly with young people on their experiences online is a vital measure to both inform the progress of the DSA and guide its implementation across the EU.

AB - The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) is currently being enforced across the EU, and several countries are introducing online safety regulations. As efforts to regulate digital spaces continue, so does evidence highlighting risks young people face from inappropriate content online, raising concerns about potential long-term psychological harm. To explore how the experiences of young people on large online platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, align with the focus of transparency obligations under the DSA, this paper provides details of a project that designed a series of stakeholder engagement studies. The project aims to demonstrate how engaging directly with young people on their experiences online is a vital measure to both inform the progress of the DSA and guide its implementation across the EU.

KW - Digital Services Act

KW - Moderated Content

KW - Recommender Systems

KW - Trustworthy AI

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105014376636

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:105014376636

SN - 2640-3498

VL - 294

JO - Proceedings of Machine Learning Research

JF - Proceedings of Machine Learning Research

Y2 - 30 June 2025 through 2 July 2025

ER -

Algorithmic Transparency: The EU Digital Services Act and Young People’s Experiences of Online Platforms

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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