When all is done and dusted, we’ll need mechanisms to study the impact of new technologies.  One of the most important mechanisms we have for understanding and responding to the impacts of social media, generative AI, and other internet-enabled services have on free expression and elections is through independent research done on those platforms and services. Paradoxically, it’s getting harder and harder to study these platforms, whether because services are limiting researcher access, making it more expensive, or services are reducing their staff and initiatives related to research. Most concerningly, intimidation tactics have been used against researchers looking into efforts to destabilize democracy, which calls the question: how can we protect our elections if we cannot conduct independent research to understand the channels through which folks engage?