Researchers and NGOs urge Meta to leave CrowdTangle before 2024 elections

The Mozilla Foundation and numerous research and advocacy groups have spoken out against Meta's decision to shut down CrowdTangle. CrowdTangle is a research tool that allows you to track the distribution of content on Facebook and Instagram.

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The Mozilla Foundation and 90 other groups, along with the former CEO of CrowdTangle, wrote a letter demanding that CrowdTangle remain available online until the 2024 elections. Shutting down the tool, the letter argues, could hurt researchers' ability to track disinformation during the crucial 2024 elections.

Meta, formerly Facebook, has confirmed plans to shut down CrowdTangle in August 2024. According to the letter, the decision has potentially serious implications for monitoring disinformation, incitement to violence, and other aspects of electoral processes. Tracking content on Facebook and Instagram has played a key role in uncovering information about spam, pirated content, and the influence of political groups.

Meta responded to the criticism and said that their new tool, the Meta Content Library, would provide researchers with a more powerful tool for obtaining data. However, the former CEO of CrowdTangle emphasised that the app is not yet powerful enough to fully replace CrowdTangle.

The issue of access to data is also in question, as Meta Content Library requires approval for access, and access may be restricted to journalists and other commercial organisations.

While both sides are currently continuing discussions, researchers and civil society organisations are adamant that keeping CrowdTangle alive until the 2024 elections is critical to ensuring transparency and integrity in the electoral process.

Source: Engadget