Meta's CrowdTangle to shut down in August 2024

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced the discontinuation of its social media analytics tool, CrowdTangle. The free platform will officially cease to exist on August 14, 2024.

Journalists, researchers, and marketers have widely used CrowdTangle for years to track public content, trends, and engagement across major social networks. In a recent announcement, Meta explained that the shutdown will allow them to focus on developing its new research tools, the Meta Content Library and Content Library API.

Key Points for CrowdTangle Users

• Access Continues Until August 14, 2024: Existing users will be able to utilize CrowdTangle's interface, API, and Chrome Extension until the shutdown date.
• No New Users: New accounts can no longer be added to CrowdTangle.
• Real-time Data Updates Continue: CrowdTangle will still display real-time data updates until its final day.
• Historical Data Access: Users can download historical data from CrowdTangle until August 14, 2024.
• Focus on New Research Tools: Meta is shifting its resources towards the Meta Content Library and Content Library API, tools designed for researchers that uphold more rigorous privacy and security standards.

Alternatives for CrowdTangle Users

Meta suggests the following options for those relying on CrowdTangle's functionality:

• News Organizations: Commercial news organizations can use features within the Meta Business Suite or partner with third-party providers offering similar analytics tools.
• Researchers: Researchers affiliated with academic or non-profit institutions can apply for access to the Meta Content Library via the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).
• Fact-Checkers: Fact-checking organizations currently working with Meta are being transitioned to the Meta Content Library. Others may apply for access through the ICPSR.
• Advertisers and Agencies: Similar to commercial news organizations, advertisers can use the Meta Business Suite or partner with third-party providers.

Meta's Official Statement

In their announcement, Meta stated: "Our data-sharing products are evolving alongside technology and regulatory changes. Phasing out CrowdTangle will allow us to focus resources on our new research tools, Meta Content Library & Content Library API, which provide useful, high-quality data to researchers."

What is CrowdTangle?

If you've ever wondered how journalists find viral content, track social media trends, or compare the performance of different online accounts, the answer often lies in CrowdTangle. This powerful tool from Meta (the company behind Facebook and Instagram) is designed to make sense of the vast ocean of public social media activity.

What Does CrowdTangle Do?

CrowdTangle is like a powerful search engine for social media, built with special features for in-depth analysis. Here's what it helps you do:

• Follow: Monitor public content from Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit. CrowdTangle tracks popular accounts like famous people, news outlets, and sports teams.
• Analyze: Compare the performance of different accounts or look for trends over time. Easily see how posts are performing, which ones attract the most attention, and who drives the conversation.
• Report: Find patterns in how content spreads online. Identify which topics are popular, and gain insights into how ideas and narratives gain momentum.

Who Uses CrowdTangle?

• Journalists: Quickly discover content for stories or identify breaking news trends using CrowdTangle's search tools.
• Social Media Managers: Benchmark their own account performance against competitors and monitor brand conversations online.
• TV Producers: Display real-time social media reactions to events using CrowdTangle's live dashboards.
• Fact-Checkers: Detect and investigate posts containing potential misinformation.
• Researchers: Analyze how information spreads across social networks to understand public opinion and societal trends.

What Kind of Information Does CrowdTangle Track?

Remember, CrowdTangle only deals with public information – the kind anyone can see online. Here's what it collects:

• Post timestamps (when something was posted)
• Post Types (text, image, video, etc.)
• Accounts the posts came from (or public groups they were posted in)
• Interactions (likes, shares, comments)
• Other public accounts that shared the post

What CrowdTangle Doesn't Track:

• Reach/Impressions (how many people saw a post)
• Ephemeral content (like Instagram or Facebook Stories)
• User demographics (age, location, etc.)
• Paid or boosted posts

Is CrowdTangle Free?

Yes! All of CrowdTangle's features are completely free to use. That includes some powerful tools like:

• CrowdTangle Search: Comb through social media with tailored searches
• Live Displays: Real-time streams of posts on specific topics
• CrowdTangle Link Checker Chrome Extension: See who's sharing a webpage online