An Analysis of the Consequences of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on Social Network Research

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how GDPR impacts social network research, offering practical guidance for compliance and discussing broader challenges in applying GDPR principles to social network data analysis.

Contribution

It provides a practical GDPR-compliance guide for social network research and discusses broader issues arising from GDPR principles in this context.

Findings

Guidelines for GDPR-compliant social network data processing

Identification of challenges in applying GDPR principles to social network research

Discussion of potential conflicts between GDPR and social network data analysis

Abstract

This article examines the principles outlined in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the context of social network data. We provide both a practical guide to GDPR-compliant social network data processing, covering aspects such as data collection, consent, anonymization and data analysis, and a broader discussion of the problems emerging when the general principles on which the regulation is based are instantiated to this research area.