Since September 2023, the Digital Services Act (DSA) obliges large online platforms to submit detailed data on each moderation action they take within the European Union (EU) to the DSA Transparency Database. From its inception, this centralized database has sparked scholarly interest as an unprecedented and potentially unique trove of data on real-world online moderation. Here, we thoroughly analyze all 195.61M records submitted by the eight largest social media platforms in the EU during the first 60 days of the database. Specifically, we conduct a platform-wise comparative study of their: volume of moderation actions, grounds for decision, types of applied restrictions, types of moderated content, timeliness in undertaking and submitting moderation actions, and use of automation. Furthermore, we systematically cross-check the contents of the database with the platforms' own transparency reports. Our analyses reveal that (i) the platforms adhered only in part to the philosophy and structure of the database, (ii) the structure of the database is partially inadequate for the platforms' reporting needs, (iii) the platforms exhibited substantial differences in their moderation actions, (iv) a remarkable fraction of the database data is inconsistent, (v) the platform X (formerly Twitter) presents the most inconsistencies. Our findings have far-reaching implications for policymakers and scholars across diverse disciplines. They offer guidance for future regulations that cater to the reporting needs of online platforms in general, but also highlight opportunities to improve and refine the database itself.

翻译：自2023年9月起，《数字服务法案》（DSA）要求大型在线平台向DSA透明度数据库提交其在欧盟（EU）内采取的各项审核行动的详细数据。该集中式数据库自建立之初便引发了学术界的广泛兴趣，被视为研究真实世界在线审核行为的空前且潜在独特的数据宝库。本研究全面分析了数据库运行前60天内，欧盟规模最大的八家社交媒体平台提交的全部1.9561亿条记录。具体而言，我们开展了跨平台比较研究，涵盖以下维度：审核行动数量、决策依据、限制措施类型、被审核内容类型、行动实施与提交的时效性，以及自动化手段的使用情况。此外，我们系统性地将数据库内容与平台自身发布的透明度报告进行交叉验证。分析揭示：（i）平台仅部分遵循数据库的核心理念与结构；（ii）数据库现有结构在满足平台报告需求方面存在不足；（iii）各平台在审核行动上呈现显著差异；（iv）数据库中存在相当比例的数据不一致情况；（v）平台X（原Twitter）的不一致问题最为突出。本研究结果对政策制定者及多学科研究者具有深远启示：既为未来适应在线平台报告需求的法规制定提供了指导，同时也强调了改进与完善数据库自身的契机。