I am a Europe-based journalist commissioning a researcher or small team to assist with a structured, ethical investigation of social media portals, with an emphasis on Truth Social and similar platforms. The work will focus on mapping platform user demographics and networks, collecting and analysing publicly available content, and obtaining lawful, country-specific access methods for research. Bidders must propose legal, transparent methods for access; purchasing or creating fraudulent accounts is not permitted (see full scope). GDPR-compliant handling of data is required. (If not all of the required objectives can be fulfilled, please reach out for a custom solution.) Objectives Produce country-level profiles describing typical user demographics, languages, public groups/clusters, and barriers to research access. Provide a practical, lawful plan for accessing country-specific views (e.g., through platform APIs, public scraping where allowed, partnerships, vetted local contacts, or officially available account types). Deliver cleaned datasets and reproducible methods (scripts, queries, documentation) for further analysis. Provide an ethics/compliance statement covering GDPR, platform terms of service, and research safety. Scope of prohibited activities Bidders must not propose, perform, or facilitate any of the following: Buying, selling, transferring, or creating accounts for the purpose of evading platform rules, bans, or restrictions;* Creating fake identities, sockpuppet networks, or impersonating individuals;* Any action that violates platform terms of service, local law, or applicable research ethics.* Proposals that include alternatives (e.g., research partnerships, verified volunteers, use of platform research access programs) are welcome. Required deliverables Research plan and timeline (detailed). Data collection methods and code (well-commented Python scripts / Jupyter notebooks) that reproduce collection of publicly available content where permitted.* Cleaned datasets (CSV/Parquet) with data dictionary and provenance.* Short analytical report (3–5 pages) summarising key findings and research limitations. Ethics & compliance statement and recommended risk mitigations (confidential informants, local legal checklists).* Optional: short recorded walkthrough (screen share or screencast) demonstrating the data collection pipeline. Technical & legal requirements Use reproducible tooling; submit Jupyter notebooks and scripts.* All data handling must be GDPR-compliant; anonymise or pseudonymise personal data at rest where necessary and provide a deletion/destruction plan on project completion.* Document how each data source complies with platform terms of service and local law; flag any legal uncertainty. Provide a list of any third-party services, proxies, or paid tools required and their costs. Sign an NDA if requested. Skills & experience required Proven experience researching social media ecosystems, preferably with conservative-leaning or niche platforms. Familiarity with platform terms of service, GDPR, and research ethics. Experience working with local researchers/contacts in other countries is a plus. Portfolio or examples of prior work (published reports, GitHub repos, notebooks). Proposal format (what to submit) Short cover letter (1 page) describing your approach and how you will ensure legality/ethics.* Proposed plan & timeline (max 2 pages). Statement confirming you will not purchase or create accounts in violation of platform terms or local law.* Selection criteria Legal/ethical clarity and rigor in the proposed method. Demonstrated technical competence (notebooks, code samples).* Relevant prior experience and references. Value for money and realistic timeline. Clear data protection and compliance plan. Timeline & budget Project expected to start immediately Estimated duration: 4–8 weeks depending on scope; propose your timeline. Budget: open — provide a firm bid. Include separate line items for optional country-specific fieldwork or local partnerships. Confidentiality & safety The client is a journalist; confidentiality is required. Bidder must handle sensitive information securely and be prepared to sign an NDA. Do not propose actions that would place collaborators, sources, or the client at legal or physical risk. How to apply Send your proposal and attachments to: [insert contact method here]. Include “Truth Social research bid” in the subject line. Proposals will be evaluated within 7 business days; shortlisted bidders may be asked for a short interview and a technical walk-through. Notes for bidders Preference will be given to bids that prioritise lawful access (platform research programs, public data, partnerships, vetted local contributors) over proposals relying on account purchase or covert methods. If you believe a particular country requires specific legal review to collect publicly available content, state this explicitly and estimate the cost/time for the legal check. If you want, I can adapt the posting to a specific freelancing platform (Upwork, Freelancer, etc.) by tailoring length, adding screening questions, and formatting for their proposal system. *optional