Meta Ditches ‘Misinformation’ Tracking Tool, Angering Journalists and Nonprofits

Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media giant Meta has shut down CrowdTangle, a researching tool used to monitor social media posts that include alleged misinformation.

The move has upset a series of nonprofits which sent letters in protest of Meta’s move to a new tool called Content Library. Their issue stems from Meta limiting usage of Content Library to “qualified academic or nonprofit institutions who are pursuing scientific or public interest research.”

This has prevented many journalists from having immediate access to the new tool, TechCrunch reported.

The letter to Meta in May 2024 asked for CrowdTangle to stay available until at least January 2025 so that it could be used through the 2024 presidential election.

“This decision jeopardizes essential pre- and post-election oversight mechanisms and undermines Meta’s transparency efforts during this critical period, and at a time when social trust and digital democracy are alarmingly fragile,” the letter, which was posted to the Human Rights Watch website, stated. (Read more from “Meta Ditches ‘Misinformation’ Tracking Tool, Angering Journalists and Nonprofits” HERE)