Meta has announced the removal of CrowdTangle, a tool that tracks misinformation on Instagram and Facebook.
CrowdTangle, purchased by Meta in 2016, will no longer be available after August 14, less than three months before the US elections. The Palo Alto-based company plans to replace it with a new tool that, according to researchers, doesn’t have the same functionality.
For years, CrowdTangle has enabled its users to track in real time the spread of conspiracy theories, incitement to violence or manipulation campaigns conducted from abroad.
According to experts, the removal of the tool is part of the current trend among major digital platforms to reduce transparency. A trend that is all the more worrying given that elections are ripe for the dissemination of false information that undermines the democratic process.
In the past, journalists have used CrowdTangle to investigate public health crises, human rights violations and natural disasters.
The decision by Facebook and Instagram’s parent company comes after numerous journalists used CrowdTangle to report information unflattering to the company, including its difficulties in moderating content on its platforms and the abundance of pirated game files present on its video game app.
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