Facebook Gives Researchers ‘Full Access’ for Election Studies

Despite privacy concerns, effort aims to shed light on social-media giant’s practices

Facebook Inc. will give a newly formed group of academics “full access” to data on its 2.2 billion users for the purpose of identifying areas of research about the effects of social media on elections and democracy, the group said Wednesday.

Social Science One, a group formed earlier this year with backing from nonprofits including The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Charles Koch Foundation, said it would start accepting proposals from researchers for funding.

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