The Australian Internet Observatory (AIO) has developed a platform that university researchers can use to collate and analyse key statistics from digital platforms including online user experience data, algorithms and interactions.
Digital platforms like Instagram, TikTok, ChatGPT, Netflix and Spotify have become deeply entwined with the cultural landscape, playing a critical role in the Australian economy and society.
As a result, they have come to inform much of the research taking place in universities across the country. However, access to data and the ability to observe activities on these platforms is extremely limited among research institutions.
Concerns over the dangers of online gambling, social media, scams and the widespread integration of AI have added urgency to questions surrounding digital platform use. AIO's tool is designed to address these questions by enhancing the capabilities of researchers exploring the harmful impacts of online platforms.
RMIT Distinguished Professor Julian Thomas, AIO Director, said the platform will remove a significant practical barrier that many researchers encounter when undertaking projects.
"Researchers often need to build their own technical systems before they can begin answering the questions they are interested in," he said.
"That can be expensive, time-consuming and out of reach for smaller teams or researchers without specialist technical expertise."
"The AIO platform provides shared national infrastructure so researchers can focus on designing rigorous and ethical studies rather than building the underlying technology from scratch."
The AIO is led by RMIT University and the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) through the HASS and Indigenous Research Data Commons, in collaboration with several universities across Victoria and Queensland. It provides national research infrastructure for digital platform transparency and observability.
