Meta and the noise of the CrowdTangle
The entity, now called Meta, that used to be known as Facebook has recently closed down the CrowdTangle analytics tool. The latter was deemed crucial by the research domain while its dismantling has spurred interest from the European Union regulators.
The EU is mobilising
The European Commission, which had earlier criticized Meta’s plan to disassemble the tool before the 2024 general election, is now urging Meta to get to know the details of its collaborations with researchers. CrowdTangle was shut down after that, though researchers and CSOs asked Meta to keep it online through the end of the year, regulators are now reminding Meta of their “obligation” under the DSA to enable researchers to access its data.
Request for transparency
“The Commission request additional information from Meta regarding its actions and intents concerning its duties to allow researchers’ access to publicly available data on the Facebook and Instagram online interface as provided by the DSA”, the European Commission said in the statement.
Meta Content Library: The worthy successor?
Meta is replacing CrowdTangle with the Meta Content Library and is in its early stages of promotion at the moment. However, this new work is well governed and provides only a limited set of the features that are available in CrowdTangle.
In a statement to Engadget, a Meta spokesperson asserts that it was announced earlier in the year that CrowdTangle will be discontinued, because it only captures a limited aspect of what is taking place on its platforms, There are, however, more encompassing instruments for researchers; these are the Meta Content Library & API. This exchange is still going on with the European Commission with regard to this matter.
