Two days after Meta shut down its analysis tool CrowdTangle, the company received mail from the EU Commission on Friday. As part of Meta’s Digital Services Act (DSA), they would like to know how it meets the DSA requirements that the tool previously covered – such as access to data and APIs for science – without CrowdTangle.
Advertisement
The Commission will also want to know how Meta intends to play its role as an independent observer of elections and social discourse without Crowdtangle – in particular with regard to the Crowdtangle successor content library and programming interface (API). Meta should also comment on the criteria according to which the social media giant provides access, how to apply for it and what data and functions are then available.
USA: Lawsuit against 16 deep nude websitesFormal proceedings have been ongoing since April
The EU Commission started formal proceedings against Meta in April on the grounds of DSA. One point of criticism was that there were no effective tools for real-time monitoring of social discourse and election observation ahead of European Parliament elections and other elections. The Commission also found inadequate how Meta provided research teams with access to publicly available data.
Meta only added new functions to CrowdTangle in May. At the time, the aim was to address the commission’s concerns about the election. The commission says. It included 27 real-time public dashboards – one for each member state – to give outsiders insight into current social discourse and election observation. With the demise of CrowdTangle, this function is also a thing of the past.
Despite many protests it was shut down
Meta now has until September 6 to provide the Commission with the requested information. The EU body will then decide what the next step will be. This could include interim measures and a decision that Meta is in breach of the DSA – but also that Meta promise to address the issues raised. If the company answers the question incompletely, incorrectly or not at all, the Commission could fine Meta.
Meta already announced in the spring that it wanted to shut down the CrowdTangle tool, which is also popular among journalists. Despite numerous protests and requests that CrowdTangle not be shut down until after the super election year of 2024, Meta shut down the service on Wednesday.
Read this also
(Are)
Apple: App developers must disclose contact details in the EU
