[2505.11577] The Accountability Paradox: How Platform API Restrictions Undermine AI Transparency Mandates

Computer Science > Computers and Society arXiv:2505.11577 (cs) [Submitted on 16 May 2025 (v1), last revised 27 Mar 2026 (this version, v3)] Title:The Accountability Paradox: How Platform API Restrictions Undermine AI Transparency Mandates Authors:Florian A.D. Burnat, Brittany I. Davidson View a PDF of the paper titled The Accountability Paradox: How Platform API Restrictions Undermine AI Transparency Mandates, by Florian A.D. Burnat and Brittany I. Davidson View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Recent application programming interface (API) restrictions on major social media platforms challenge compliance with the EU Digital Services Act [20], which mandates data access for algorithmic transparency. We develop a structured audit framework to assess the growing misalignment between regulatory requirements and platform implementations. Our comparative analysis of X/Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, and Meta identifies critical ``audit blind-spots'' where platform content moderation and algorithmic amplification remain inaccessible to independent verification. Our findings reveal an ``accountability paradox'': as platforms increasingly rely on AI systems, they simultaneously restrict the capacity for independent oversight. We propose targeted policy interventions aligned with the AI Risk Management Framework of the National Institute of Standards and Technology [80], emphasizing federated access models and enhanced regulatory enforcement. Subjects: Computers and Society (cs.CY); Artif...