# Introducing dsa_tdb Analyzing the DSA Transparency Database > [! note]- > The content of this page is generated by audio/video transcription and text transformation from the content and links of this source. Source: [https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-5813-unlocking-transparency-in-platforms-content-moderation-activities-introducing-dsatdb-a-python-package-for-analyzing-the-digital-services-act-transparency-database/](https://fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-5813-unlocking-transparency-in-platforms-content-moderation-activities-introducing-dsatdb-a-python-package-for-analyzing-the-digital-services-act-transparency-database/) <video src="https://video.fosdem.org/2025/aw1120/fosdem-2025-5813-unlocking-transparency-in-platforms-content-moderation-activities-introducing-dsatdb-a-python-package-for-analyzing-the-digital-services-act-transparency-database.av1.webm" controls></video> ## Summary & Highlights: The session focuses on the introduction of the dsa_tdb Python package designed to analyze the Digital Services Act Transparency Database. The package aims to improve transparency in content moderation by online platforms, as mandated by the Digital Services Act. **Introduction to dsa_tdb** This section introduces the dsa_tdb package, a tool developed to facilitate access and analysis of the Digital Services Act Transparency Database. The database collects Statements of Reasons from online platforms about their content moderation decisions, enhancing transparency and accountability. **Digital Services Act and Transparency** Here, the Digital Services Act is explored, highlighting its role in promoting transparency and user rights on online platforms. The Act requires platforms to provide clear terms and conditions, report illegal content, and ensure consumer protection, particularly for minors. **Challenges and Opportunities** This section discusses the challenges researchers face in accessing the vast amount of data in the Transparency Database and how dsa_tdb addresses these issues. It also covers the potential of the package to uncover trends in content moderation and its implications for transparency and accountability in digital services. **Broader Implications** The session concludes with a discussion on the broader transparency provisions of the DSA, including advertisement repositories and transparency reports, and how these can be leveraged to promote a more transparent and accountable digital ecosystem. ## Importance for an eco-social transformation The dsa_tdb package is crucial for eco-social transformation as it enhances transparency in digital services, ensuring platforms are accountable for their content moderation practices. This transparency is vital for protecting user rights and promoting ethical digital environments. Eco-social designers can leverage tools like dsa_tdb to analyze data, identify trends, and advocate for fairer online practices. Challenges include managing large datasets and ensuring data privacy. Socially, the package can empower civil society organizations to scrutinize platform practices, while politically, it supports the enforcement of the Digital Services Act, promoting transparency and accountability in the digital sphere. ## Slides: | | | | --- | --- | | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_001.jpg\|300]] | The first slide introduces the session's focus on enhancing transparency in platforms' content moderation activities through the dsa_tdb Python package, which analyzes the Digital Services Act Transparency Database. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_002.jpg\|300]] | The second slide provides an overview of the Digital Services Act, emphasizing its role in creating a safer digital space through consumer protection, transparency, and data access provisions. It highlights the importance of clear terms and conditions, content moderation policies, and protections for minors. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_003.jpg\|300]] | The third slide discusses transparency reports and databases, emphasizing the importance of clear and transparent language in terms and conditions, ad libraries, and risk assessments. It highlights the role of independent audits and data access provisions in ensuring accountability. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_004.jpg\|300]] | The fourth slide presents statistics on content moderation, including monthly active users, human resources, accuracy, and appeal. It notes the release of three rounds of VLOPs Transparency Reports and the breakdown of English-speaking moderators. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_005.jpg\|300]] | The fifth slide explains the process of platforms sending Statements of Reasons to users and the transparency database. It outlines the limitations of website searches and the availability of daily dumps and online dashboards for data access. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_006.jpg\|300]] | The sixth slide highlights the large size of the transparency database, noting the challenges in handling daily dump files and aggregated datasets. It emphasizes the need for substantial computing resources to analyze the data. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_007.jpg\|300]] | The seventh slide outlines three methods for installing the dsa_tdb package: pip installation, Docker/Podman container, and Superset dashboards. It also mentions the availability of online documentation for users. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_008.jpg\|300]] | The eighth slide details the API and CLI interfaces for the dsa_tdb package, allowing users to download, filter, and aggregate data. It invites participants to join a workshop for a demo and additional details. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_009.jpg\|300]] | The ninth slide provides a breakdown of content moderation by platform and category, highlighting the concentration of moderation activities among major platforms. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_010.jpg\|300]] | The tenth slide shows the daily submission volume of content moderation decisions by platform, illustrating the scale of data processed in the transparency database. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_011.jpg\|300]] | The eleventh slide compares automated and manual content detection methods, showing differences in practices between weekdays and weekends. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_012.jpg\|300]] | The twelfth slide outlines the flow of content moderation decisions, including source detection, decision grounds, and the role of automation in the process. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_013.jpg\|300]] | The thirteenth slide discusses the adaptation of the database schema to align with transparency reporting provisions. It highlights research community outputs and the predominance of automated content moderation. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_014.jpg\|300]] | The fourteenth slide provides links to the backend, website, and package repositories, encouraging open-source contributions and participation in the workshop. | ![[FOSDEM 2025/assets/Unlocking-Transparency-in-Platforms-Content-Modera/preview_015.jpg\|300]] | The fifteenth slide thanks the audience for their attention and participation in the session. ## Links [DSA_TDB_F_I1LvKl1.pdf](https://fosdem.org/2025/events/attachments/fosdem-2025-5813-unlocking-transparency-in-platforms-content-moderation-activities-introducing-dsatdb-a-python-package-for-analyzing-the-digital-services-act-transparency-database/slides/238385/DSA_TDB_F_I1LvKl1.pdf)