CrowdTangle. Its name may not mean anything to you, but this tool is often considered essential in the fight against disinformation on certain social networks. Adopted in 2016 by Facebook, it was regularly used on the social network created by Mark Zuckerberg but also on Instagram. Validated by numerous researchers and journalists, it will however soon be decommissioned by the giant Meta, which announced that the software would no longer be available after August 14. A choice that raises questions, three months before the presidential election in the United States.
What was CrowdTangle used for?
Facebook purchased the tool in 2016, with the aim of improving monitoring of the most viral content. Eight years later, Meta has chosen to remove CrowdTangle from its networks. To understand the tool, it is useful to translate it: “crowd” which means “crowd” and “tangle”, which can be translated “bazaar”. Its promise: “to monitor social media content, monitor its e-reputation and easily detect trending topics”, underlines the very serious Moderator’s Blog. The software notably allowed its users to follow the spread of viral subjects in real time and to more easily identify conspiracy theories, incitements to violence or manipulation campaigns led from abroad.
Why did Meta decide to part with it?
The official reason for this choice is its replacement with new software. Meta does not say much, simply specifying that this abandonment will allow it to further develop its in-house search tools and in particular its content library. A tool contested by many experts, including former CrowdTangle CEO Brandon Silverman.
It can, however, be noted that the social media giant’s decision comes shortly after disclosures by journalists reporting unflattering information about the company. To point out Meta’s failure to moderate the content of its platforms and the abundance of pirated games on its networks, these journalists widely used CrowdTangle. A tool that made it possible to “hold Meta accountable for applying its own rules,” according to Tim Harper, political analyst at the Center for Democracy & Technology.
Why is this abandonment causing so much discussion?
According to experts, the removal of the tool is part of the current trend of large digital platforms to reduce transparency. A trend that is all the more worrying given that electoral votes are conducive to the dissemination of false information that harms the democratic process. A strange choice in this year when elections are taking place in dozens of countries where almost half of the world’s population lives. “Removing access to CrowdTangle will significantly limit independent monitoring of the harm caused by disinformation,” said Melanie Smith, research director at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. “This is a serious regression for transparency on social media. »
In 2019, Meta acknowledged that its tool helped officials identify false information, such as inaccurate polling station times during a Louisiana election. In 2020, Facebook offered the tool to US election officials in all states to help them “quickly identify misinformation, interference and voter suppression”. In 2024, we will have to do without.