Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has shut down CrowdTangle, a popular tool among researchers, watchdogs, and journalists for monitoring social media posts and tracking misinformation. The decision has sparked considerable backlash from those who valued CrowdTangle for its transparency and utility.
Meta announced the shutdown earlier this year and implemented it on Wednesday, facing immediate protests. In May, organizations including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch, and NYU’s Center for Social Media & Politics sent a letter to Meta, urging the company to keep CrowdTangle operational at least until January. They stressed the tool’s importance, especially with the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, arguing that its removal would weaken oversight and transparency during a crucial period for digital democracy.
The coalition emphasized that CrowdTangle had been vital in helping researchers filter through the vast information on Facebook and Instagram, identifying harmful content and potential threats. They warned that losing access to CrowdTangle at such a critical time could severely hinder their ability to monitor and combat misinformation.
In addition to the coalition’s plea, the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation sent a similar letter in March, joined by several other groups and academic researchers. They requested that Meta keep CrowdTangle running until January, highlighting that it set a high standard for real-time platform transparency and was essential for understanding the spread of disinformation, hate speech, and voter suppression on Facebook.
Despite these appeals, Meta proceeded with the shutdown, claiming that CrowdTangle did not provide a comprehensive view of activity on its platforms. Meta has introduced a new tool, the Meta Content Library, as a replacement. However, this tool is currently accessible only to academic researchers and nonprofits, leaving out many news organizations that previously relied on CrowdTangle. Critics also note that the Meta Content Library is not as effective as CrowdTangle, at least in its current form.
Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, mentioned in a recent blog post that the company is collecting feedback from hundreds of researchers to make the Meta Content Library more user-friendly and to ensure they can access the necessary data. Meta insists that the new tools are more comprehensive and provide a better overview of platform activity.
Acquired by Meta in 2016, CrowdTangle quickly became a crucial resource for monitoring social media for misinformation and harmful content. Its shutdown has left many researchers and journalists concerned about their ability to track and combat misinformation effectively, especially during significant political events.
As Meta continues to develop its new tools, the absence of CrowdTangle marks a significant change in how social media activity will be monitored in the future. The effectiveness of the Meta Content Library in replacing CrowdTangle remains uncertain, and researchers and journalists will be closely observing its development and capabilities in the coming months.