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First Online: 10 April 2025

Declarations

:

: I declare that there is no conflict of interest.

: This study examines social media data from Twitter using quantitative analysis. As a general practice at the University of Freiburg, studies utilizing aggregate data from publicly available social media platforms are not subject to mandatory Ethics Committee approval. However, to ensure compliance with ethical standards, I consulted with a member of the University Ethics Committee regarding the ethical implications of this research. The study exclusively analyzes aggregate data and avoids quoting full tweets or user handles to protect the privacy and anonymity of Twitter users. No individuals can be identified from the results, which include aggregated data visualizations that do not include identifiable content. This approach aligns with established guidelines in the field, such as Williams et al. ( ), who emphasize that ‘quantitative analysis of Twitter data that presents findings in aggregate form […] supports ethical research without the need for informed consent.’ To address data protection concerns, all downloaded data are securely stored on a local device and a GDPR-compliant cloud server hosted in the European Union. I am the sole individual with access to these datasets. In conclusion, this research complies with established ethical standards for the quantitative analysis of social media data, ensuring adherence to principles of privacy, data protection, and responsible dissemination of findings.