CrowdTangle—set to be discontinued on August 14, 2024—is a crucial tool employed by a vast network of journalists, researchers, and election observers to scrutinize the flow of information across Meta’s platforms during critical periods, especially elections. Despite numerous unanswered calls from government, civil society, and academia to delay CrowdTangle’s shutdown to after the U.S. election and simultaneously improve functionality of its replacement, Meta will proceed with walking back transparency and erecting yet another barrier to the preservation of information integrity, accountability, and trust in platforms when it is needed most.
Join the Center for American Progress online for an illuminating conversation into what this means for the technology policy landscape during this critical period. The event will feature opening remarks from U.S. Senator Chris Coons followed by a panel highlighting the wide-ranging implications of the shutdown for journalists, researchers, academics, and more.