A group of 17 members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, have expressed concerns about social media giant Meta’s decision to discontinue its CrowdTangle service. In a letter addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the congressmembers highlighted the importance of CrowdTangle for researchers and journalists in understanding various phenomena, such as Russian influence in Africa and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.
While acknowledging Meta’s efforts in stewarding the service, the congressmembers argued that the substitute, the Meta Content Library, falls short in terms of access and scope of information compared to CrowdTangle. They emphasized the need for further development of the new tool. The letter also cited instances where CrowdTangle was instrumental in testing educational technologies, identifying threats to public office candidates, and monitoring the spread of disinformation online.
Former Meta research manager and UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Public Scholar, David Evan Harris, highlighted the value of CrowdTangle for organizations without extensive technical resources. He expressed concerns that without CrowdTangle, civil society organizations, researchers, and journalists worldwide would struggle to effectively monitor online activities.
Meta had initially announced the discontinuation of CrowdTangle on March 14, with a planned cutoff date of August 14. The company stated that this five-month period would allow users to complete ongoing projects and familiarize themselves with the Meta Content Library or other research tools. However, the congressmembers argued that while the Meta Content Library improves certain features, it restricts users’ ability to track trends over time and is less user-friendly for those without technical expertise.
In response to these perceived limitations, the congressmembers urged Meta to delay the cancellation by six months and enhance the services provided by the Meta Content Library during this period. Meta has not yet confirmed whether it will comply with these requests. The company’s statement in March mentioned that the Meta Content Library would be available to nonprofit and academic institutions upon application, but it did not clarify whether for-profit press organizations would have access.
The congressmembers raised concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the number of organizations with access to the Meta Content Library compared to CrowdTangle. They questioned Meta’s decision to terminate the tool at a critical time, given the usability and access concerns.
Among the signatories of the letter were U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Adam Schiff, both from California. Rep. Anna Eshoo, representing California’s 16th Congressional district, was the sole Bay Area member of Congress to sign the letter. However, Rep. Kevin Mullin, who represents California’s 15th Congressional district, which includes Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, did not sign the letter.