Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has recently made the decision to shut down CrowdTangle, a popular tool utilized by researchers, watchdog organizations, and journalists to monitor social media posts. CrowdTangle was particularly known for its ability to track the spread of misinformation on Meta's platforms.
The shutdown of CrowdTangle, announced earlier this year by Meta, has sparked protests from various groups. In May, organizations such as the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, Human Rights Watch, and NYU’s Center for Social Media & Politics, sent a letter urging Meta to keep the tool operational at least until January to cover the U.S. presidential elections.
