TikTok's Research API: Problems Without Explanations

Following the Digital Services Act of 2023, which requires Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) to facilitate data accessibility for independent research, TikTok augmented its Research API access within Europe in July 2023. This action was intended to ensure compliance with the DSA, bolster transparency, and address systemic risks. Nonetheless, research findings reveal that despite this expansion, notable limitations and inconsistencies persist within the data provided. Our experiment reveals that the API fails to provide metadata for one in eight videos provided through data donations, including official TikTok videos, advertisements, and content from specific accounts, without an apparent reason. The API data is incomplete, making it unreliable when working with data donations, a prominent methodology for algorithm audits and research on platform accountability. To monitor the functionality of the API and eventual fixes implemented by TikTok, we publish a dashboard with a daily check of the availability of 10 videos that were not retrievable in the last month. The video list includes very well-known accounts, notably that of Taylor Swift. The current API lacks the necessary capabilities for thorough independent research and scrutiny. It is crucial to support and safeguard researchers who utilize data scraping to independently validate the platform's data quality.