The European Commission on Friday, August 16, requested information from Meta to verify its compliance with European Union rules after the removal of CrowdTangle, a tool considered essential for spotting and analyzing disinformation on Facebook and Instagram.
Brussels is asking Meta in particular to detail the measures taken in relation to its obligations, provided for in the Digital Services Regulation (DSA), to “giving researchers access to data” of Facebook and Instagram. The European Commission finally asks the Palo Alto group to inform it, by September 6, of the decisions it intends to take on this matter.
CrowdTangle has been unavailable since August 14, much to the dismay of many researchers and journalists who used it to track in real time the spread of conspiracy theories, incitement to violence or manipulation campaigns piloted from abroad.
An investigation opened at the end of April
This request for information is part of an investigation opened at the end of April, five weeks before the European elections, against Facebook and Instagram, suspected of not respecting their obligations in the fight against disinformation. Among the grievances listed, Brussels was particularly concerned about the plan to remove CrowdTangle, without an adequate replacement solution.
The decision by Facebook and Instagram's parent company to remove the tool has been met with fierce criticism on both sides of the Atlantic. In an open letter to Meta, the Mozilla Foundation, a global non-profit organization, had called for the service to be kept on until at least January 2025, particularly citing the many electoral events in 2024, including the US presidential election. “The Abandonment of CrowdTangle (…) undermines the fundamental principle of transparency” and constitutes a “direct threat” for the integrity of the elections, declared the letter, signed by dozens of observers and researchers.
Source: Lemonde
