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| Meta is killing off CrowdTangle in a crucial election year. |
U.S. Lawmakers Urge Meta to Delay Shutdown of Crucial Transparency Tool Amid Election Concerns
In a pivotal move, U.S. lawmakers have expressed deep concern over Meta's decision to shut down CrowdTangle, a key digital tool essential for monitoring misinformation, especially in a major election year. They are urging the tech giant to delay the shutdown by six months.
Meta has announced that CrowdTangle will be unavailable after August 14, less than three months before the U.S. election. The Palo Alto-based company plans to replace it with a new tool, which researchers argue lacks the same functionality and will be inaccessible to many news organizations.
"We write with concern about Meta's announced plan to end access to this powerful transparency tool," a group of bipartisan lawmakers stated in a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. "We urge Meta to, at a minimum, postpone this plan for six months and provide further information about its plans and commitment to ensure sufficient transparency for independent research going forward."
The letter, seen by AFP and signed by 17 lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle, includes signatures from Senators Chris Coons (Democrat) and Bill Cassidy (Republican), as well as Representatives Lori Trahan (Democrat) and Neal Dunn (Republican).
For years, CrowdTangle has been a game-changer, providing researchers and journalists with crucial real-time transparency into the spread of conspiracy theories and hate speech on Meta-owned platforms like Facebook and Instagram. However, Meta plans to replace CrowdTangle with a new Content Library, a tool still under development.
Tech industry insiders, including former CrowdTangle CEO Brandon Silverman, have criticized the new tool, stating that it is not an effective replacement, especially during elections prone to the proliferation of AI-enabled falsehoods.
"We are deeply concerned that Meta Content Library has significant limitations that make it an inadequate replacement for CrowdTangle at the current time," the lawmakers wrote. "There are also questions about how many organizations will have access to and the practical ability to use Meta Content Library if CrowdTangle access is ended."
Meta has not yet commented on the lawmakers' request. Organizations participating in Meta's third-party fact-checking program, including AFP, will have access to the Content Library. However, Meta will not make the new tool available to for-profit media, reflecting the company's shift away from news across its platforms.
Journalists have relied on CrowdTangle to investigate a wide range of issues, including public health crises, human rights abuses, and natural disasters. Discontinuing the tool is seen as a significant setback, especially in a year when numerous countries are holding elections, a period notorious for the spread of false narratives.
Earlier this year, the global nonprofit Mozilla Foundation voiced alarm in an open letter to Meta, signed by dozens of tech watchdogs and researchers. The letter warned that decommissioning CrowdTangle would pose a "direct threat" to the integrity of elections and called on Meta to retain the tool at least until January 2025.
As the debate continues, stakeholders are closely watching Meta's next steps, understanding that the decision will have far-reaching implications for transparency and the fight against misinformation in the digital age.
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