The Ascona Principles

Digital platforms shape markets and public debate at a scale that would have been hard to imagine a decade ago. At the same time, independent researchers face increasing obstacles when trying to study them. Data is tightly controlled, and the academic community is often cautious when it comes to legal risks. As a result, much of the digital economy has been difficult to examine from the outside.

Against this backdrop, we developed what we call the Ascona Principles, a framework for independent research on digital markets and platforms.

Born at the MGOW Conference

We worked on these principles during the Mapping and Governing the Online World (MGOW) conference at Monte Verità in Ascona, Switzerland. MGOW brings together scholars from law, economics, social sciences, and computer science to address core questions about privacy, AI regulation, online contracts, and platform competition. Over several days of exchanges and debate, the principles were drafted.

The six core principles

As set out in our Brookings article “6 principles for independent research in a digital world” and hosted at ascona-principles.org, the framework consists of six principles.

    • Public information should be available for research Researchers rely on access to public information to conduct studies that inform policy and enhance societal understanding.
    • Independent research is needed to monitor and evaluate firm operations Transparent evaluation helps detect and address potential abuses, biases, and harmful practices within digital platforms.
    • Firms must facilitate the sharing of research-relevant data with external researchers Data sharing increases accountability and enables deeper understanding of digital ecosystems.
    • Firms must not be able to block or vet research findings Blocking or vetting research undermines the scientific process and prevents critical findings from informing public debate.
    • Institutions must protect researchers from legal risks associated with their work Universities and journals should establish legal support systems to defend academic freedom.
    • The academic community must safeguard research ethics and integrity This includes clear guidelines around data protection, archiving, reproducibility, and disclosures of potential conflicts of interest.

From discussion to implementation

We see these principles as guidance for both policymakers and the academic community.

Governments and regulators should ensure that vetted researchers can access relevant platform data under clear legal safeguards. They should also strengthen protections against strategic lawsuits against public participation, so that legal pressure does not become a routine response to critical research.

Within academia, journals and institutions have responsibilities as well. Journals should accept work based on independently collected data and require transparency about data access arrangements. Universities should provide legal support when researchers face risks. Data sharing and infrastructure building should be recognized as meaningful scholarly contributions.

Why all this matters

As generative AI systems expand and platforms grow more integrated, independent scrutiny becomes even more important. Questions about algorithmic bias, content moderation, and information flows require evidence that does not depend solely on company disclosures.

The Ascona Principles reflect an interdisciplinary effort, signed by more than 30 scholars that makes clear: independent research on digital platforms is essential for informed public debate and sound policy.