Academia.edu and ResearchGate are more recently controversial, academic social media platforms because they are both for-profit and can monetize the data that any user uploads. The websites are also known for their lack of transparency in how they use what scholars upload. Other issues cited are that they are not open access repositories, there are advertisements, and there is little to no infrastructure for the preservation of users’ data. To decide if you should join or delete your account at Academia.edu and at ResearchGate, use your best judgement. If you decide to upload your work, be aware what you can upload without infringing copyright.
