US lawmakers urge Meta to delay shutting down transparency tool

CrowdTangle has been a game-changer for years, offering researchers and journalists crucial real-time transparency into the spread of conspiracy theories and hate speech on influential Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. — AFP

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers voiced “concern” on July 24 over Meta's decision to shut down CrowdTangle – a digital tool considered vital in monitoring falsehoods – in a major election year, urging the tech giant to delay the move by six months.

The Palo Alto company has said CrowdTangle will be unavailable after Aug 14 – less than three months before the US election.