Researcher engagement
At Google, strong relationships with universities and research institutions are in our DNA. To cultivate these collaborations, we administer a variety of programmes that provide resources and support to the academic and external research communities. We provide data, tools and publications to researchers, have researcher programmes that selected researchers may apply to, as well as deliver a number of outreach initiatives.
Data, tools and publications
Google makes available a wide variety of data, publications and tools to researchers studying digital safety and risks online.
Internet safety data, tools and publications for researchers
On the Google Transparency Report website, we share reports and data that shed light on how the policies and actions of governments and corporations affect privacy, security and access to information. These include government requests to remove content, requests to delist content under European privacy law, content delistings due to copyright and the VLOSE/VLOP Transparency Report under the European Union Digital Services Act (EU DSA)
On the Google Transparency Report website, we share reports and data that shed light on how the policies and actions of governments and corporations affect privacy, security and access to information. These include government requests to remove content, requests to delist content under European privacy law, content delistings due to copyright and the VLOSE/VLOP Transparency Report under the European Union Digital Services Act (EU DSA)
The EU Digital Services Act obliges providers of hosting services to send clear and specific statements of reasons to any affected recipient when they take certain actions on information that is reported to be illegal or violates the service’s Terms and Conditions. Google submits such ‘Statements of Reasons’ to the European Commission as part of the Digital Services Act. The submissions provided by Google and other online platforms are compiled by the European Commission and shared by them on their page, where you can find a database and some summary statistics on the statements of reasons.
The EU Digital Services Act obliges providers of hosting services to send clear and specific statements of reasons to any affected recipient when they take certain actions on information that is reported to be illegal or violates the service’s Terms and Conditions. Google submits such ‘Statements of Reasons’ to the European Commission as part of the Digital Services Act. The submissions provided by Google and other online platforms are compiled by the European Commission and shared by them on their page, where you can find a database and some summary statistics on the statements of reasons.
Google has researchers publishing on security, privacy and abuse prevention. We have people working on nearly every aspect of security, privacy and anti-abuse, including access control and information security, networking, operating systems, language design, cryptography, fraud detection and prevention, spam and abuse detection, denial of service, anonymity, privacy-preserving systems, disclosure controls, as well as user interfaces and other human-centred aspects of security and privacy.
Google has researchers publishing on security, privacy and abuse prevention. We have people working on nearly every aspect of security, privacy and anti-abuse, including access control and information security, networking, operating systems, language design, cryptography, fraud detection and prevention, spam and abuse detection, denial of service, anonymity, privacy-preserving systems, disclosure controls, as well as user interfaces and other human-centred aspects of security and privacy.
To increase transparency and accountability over our online content moderation practices, Google LLC shares certain legal notices that we receive requesting the removal of content from many of our services with a third-party project called Lumen. Lumen is an independent research project managed by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University that houses, analyses and publishes copies of online content takedown requests that have been voluntarily shared with Lumen by various companies, such as Google LLC. Its purpose is to educate the public and facilitate journalistic, academic or policy-focused research about the global notice and takedown 'ecology', and the availability of content on the web.
To increase transparency and accountability over our online content moderation practices, Google LLC shares certain legal notices that we receive requesting the removal of content from many of our services with a third-party project called Lumen. Lumen is an independent research project managed by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University that houses, analyses and publishes copies of online content takedown requests that have been voluntarily shared with Lumen by various companies, such as Google LLC. Its purpose is to educate the public and facilitate journalistic, academic or policy-focused research about the global notice and takedown 'ecology', and the availability of content on the web.
Other data, tools and publications for researchers
Learn about the Researcher Programme
The Researcher Programme equips qualified researchers with resources to advance the public’s understanding of certain Google services and their impact.
Discover how to qualify
Qualifying researchers from diverse disciplines can apply to obtain access to data from Google Maps, Google Play, Google Search, Google Shopping and YouTube to study those platforms from a wide range of perspectives and research frameworks. This programme is currently only available for researchers based in the European Union (EU) and may be expanded upon in the future. Researchers interested in other data sets and research tools provided by Google should visit Google Research
How the programme works
Review the eligibility requirements
Note: Individual platform teams may have additional eligibility requirements beyond those listed here.
View the programme policies
We’ve summarised the eligibility requirements and conditions on this page. Be sure to review the Acceptable Use Policy before you apply. To participate in the programme, applicants must review and agree to the policies outlined.
Selected researchers must agree to the Acceptable Use Policy, along with any general Terms of Service for the platform(s) that the researcher is accessing.
You are fully responsible for your research and publications. In addition, Google won’t own any IP related to your research, publications or any research outcomes, or recommendations.
Other researcher programmes
YouTube is equipping eligible academic researchers from around the world with data, tools and support to advance the public’s understanding of YouTube’s platform and its impact.
Outreach
We administer a variety of outreach programmes that provide support to the academic and external research communities
Google is committed to supporting innovative research and professors working to create positive societal impact with technology, particularly in areas relevant to trust and safety. Google is looking to fund and actively collaborate with the academic research community, exploring opportunities to expand our knowledge of trust and safety concerns In addition, we have other awards that aren’t solely focused on trust and safety, where we often fund researchers in these programmes working in trust and safety, privacy and security.
Google is committed to supporting innovative research and professors working to create positive societal impact with technology, particularly in areas relevant to trust and safety. Google is looking to fund and actively collaborate with the academic research community, exploring opportunities to expand our knowledge of trust and safety concerns In addition, we have other awards that aren’t solely focused on trust and safety, where we often fund researchers in these programmes working in trust and safety, privacy and security.
The Research Scholar Programme aims to support early-career professors who are pursuing research in fields relevant to Google. The Research Scholar Programme provides unrestricted gifts to support research at institutions around the world, and is focused on funding world-class research conducted by early-career professors.
The Research Scholar Programme aims to support early-career professors who are pursuing research in fields relevant to Google. The Research Scholar Programme provides unrestricted gifts to support research at institutions around the world, and is focused on funding world-class research conducted by early-career professors.
The Award for Inclusion Research Programme recognises and supports academic research in computing and technology that addresses the needs of historically marginalised groups globally.
The Award for Inclusion Research Programme recognises and supports academic research in computing and technology that addresses the needs of historically marginalised groups globally.
We have Google teams working across privacy, security, content responsibility and family safety around the world. Our Google Safety Engineering Centres in Munich, Dublin and Málaga help guide this Internet safety work, led by experienced teams of engineers, policy specialists and subject matter experts. Through our network of centres, we collaborate and share this work with researchers, policymakers and regulators. Part of this work includes holding regular events for these audiences on topics, such as security and child safety. Specifically for researchers, we also organise events focused on having our researchers collaborate with the academic community, like our workshop on at-risk users and our AI Research Day in France, which focused entirely on AI privacy, safety and security research.
We have Google teams working across privacy, security, content responsibility and family safety around the world. Our Google Safety Engineering Centres in Munich, Dublin and Málaga help guide this Internet safety work, led by experienced teams of engineers, policy specialists and subject matter experts. Through our network of centres, we collaborate and share this work with researchers, policymakers and regulators. Part of this work includes holding regular events for these audiences on topics, such as security and child safety. Specifically for researchers, we also organise events focused on having our researchers collaborate with the academic community, like our workshop on at-risk users and our AI Research Day in France, which focused entirely on AI privacy, safety and security research.