SOMAR Newsletter | Winter 2026

What’s New?

We’re excited to share the latest updates from Social Media Archive (SOMAR), your go-to source for social media research data. Stay up-to-date with important announcements, new features, and ways to support your research with social media data.

SOMAR website has transitioned to the ICPSR platform

Our website and social media archive data are now on a new platform at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). You’ll notice a fresh look, improved navigation, updated search experience, and streamlined data deposit tools. All SOMAR resources, studies, and features are now accessible through ICPSR’s unified interface. Take a look around, explore what’s new, and let us know if you have any questions or feedback.

• Data Access Application Guide: To assist with completing the application and preparing the required documentation, please refer to the SOMAR Data Access Application Guide.
• Research Lifecycle Resource: For an overview of each stage of your SOMAR research journey, visit the SOMAR Research Lifecycle page.
• Frequently Asked Questions: For answers to common questions, guidance, and tips, check out our SOMAR FAQs.

New SOMAR VDE Fees Beginning in 2026

By February or March 2026, SOMAR will be updating its cost structure for the Virtual Data Enclave (VDE). Existing users will pay a monthly fee of $371 for each month of VDE usage. New VDE users will be charged a one time $1,000 setup and onboarding fee, plus the same monthly charge. These changes support the sustainability and ongoing improvement of SOMAR’s secure research infrastructure. Fees cover computing, storage, security, and staff support. For questions or feedback, please reach out to SOMAR Support at [email protected].

Meta Content Library Application Update

• Meta Content Library (MCL) Application Moves to Meta:
  As of December 8, 2025, all applications for Meta Content Library and API access are now managed via Meta’s own application portal. Researchers can now apply for access via Meta’s Research Tools Manager. For details on the process, please visit the Meta Content Library Get Access page or reach out to Meta directly at MetaResearchApplications@meta.com.
• Secure Computing Platforms for MCL API Access:
  When you apply for access to the Meta Content Library (MCL) API, you can choose to use either the Meta Secure Research Environment (SRE) or the SOMAR Virtual Data Enclave. You will only be able to access the MCL API on one platform, as selected by your project’s lead researcher. All collaborators on your project must use the same computing platform, and if approved for multiple research programs, you must use the same platform for all of these research programs. To compare the features and requirements of SRE and VDE, please visit the official platform comparison page.

Datasets Highlights

• A Blue Start: A large-scale pairwise and higher-order social network dataset.
• Beyond the Hashtags: #Ferguson, #Blacklivesmatter, and the Online Struggle for Offline Justice.
• ChatGPT in education: A discourse analysis of worries and concerns on social media.
• Facebook Political Advertising Experiment Participants 

New Data Deposits

New Data Deposits Are in Progress. Stay tuned for upcoming releases.

Event Hosting

Interested in hosting an event using the SOMAR datasets? Email us at [email protected].

Interested in Depositing Data?

SOMAR accepts research data from and about social media platforms. Submit datasets with descriptive metadata, documentation files, and data files (up to 30GB). For larger files or restricted data, contact [email protected].

Stay Updated

Want to be notified about newly published datasets, new resources or tools, upcoming events, and more?

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