In response to Meta's decision to shut down CrowdTangle, a digital tool used to monitor falsehoods, US lawmakers have written a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing their concern. Senators Chris Coons and Bill Cassidy, along with representatives Lori Trahan and Neal Dunn, are urging Meta to postpone the shutdown by six months and provide more information about its plans for transparency. They argue that CrowdTangle has been a crucial tool for researchers and journalists to monitor the spread of conspiracy theories and hate speech on Meta-owned platforms [07509b93].
The lawmakers also raise questions about the accessibility and practicality of Meta's proposed replacement for CrowdTangle, called Content Library. They argue that many news organizations will not have access to Content Library, and it is currently not an effective replacement for CrowdTangle. They highlight concerns about the timing of the shutdown, less than three months before the US election, and the potential impact on monitoring falsehoods during this critical period [07509b93].
Meta has not yet responded to the letter from US lawmakers, and it remains to be seen whether they will consider postponing the shutdown of CrowdTangle and providing more information about their plans for transparency [07509b93].