Meta's Controversial Shut Down of CrowdTangle: A Blow to Misinformation Research

The fight against online misinformation took an unexpected turn when Meta, the tech conglomerate formerly known as Facebook, recently dismantled CrowdTangle, an indispensable tool for research and journalism. For over a decade, CrowdTangle enabled the monitoring and analysis of viral misinformation. With the shadow of the US presidential election looming and misinformation escalating, this move raises critical concerns about transparency on social media platforms.

Introduced in 2011 and acquired by Facebook in 2016, CrowdTangle was more than a convenience for media professionals; it was their digital bloodhound. It allowed extensive data mining, keyword searches, and trend analyses across social platforms, equipping users to quantify the impact of accounts, including those spreading far-right views, on public discourse. In the COVID era, it became a spotlight on the disinformation permeating digital spaces, unmasking the insidious spread of vaccine misinformation and the machinations of content moderation failures at Meta.

CrowdTangle's utility extended beyond scholarly pursuits. Prestigious institutions like The New York Times and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation harnessed its capabilities to unveil the dark undercurrents of internet discourse, from the pervasive influence of QAnon to the insurrectionist narratives propelling racial tensions. It candidly highlighted Meta's shortcomings in clamping down on harmful content.

Meta's decision to retire CrowdTangle seems self-protective. Keeping a free tool that often embarrassed the company seems counterproductive for its image and business interests. Yet the larger context is Meta's retreat from news at large. Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal's revelations, the equation between news engagement and ad sales soured for Meta, causing a policy shift towards deprioritizing news content and aligning with ad-friendly material. This pivot also reflects Meta's bids to evade regulatory crosshairs and maintain market fluency amid scrutinizing global markets.

Replacing CrowdTangle, Meta presents its Content Library as a superior alternative, promising broader access to public content on Facebook and Instagram, with the inclusion of previously unavailable comments and short-form videos. However, this replacement lacks some of the former tool's functionalities: data exports, external analysis integration, and visibility of non-viral public figures are notably absent. A study by the Coalition for Independent Technology Research spotlights these drawbacks, emphasizing the impedance on future research into online discourse.

The implications of Meta's transition are profound. With the Content Library not freely accessible to journalists and newsrooms, a significant check on digital distortions during critical election cycles has vanished. Organizations upholding internet freedoms, such as Mozilla, have openly decried this shift. With Meta's selective transparency, the erudition necessary to combat misinformation, especially with political stakes, encounters an abrupt impediment.