The EU raises fresh questions about Meta’s shutdown of CrowdTangle

The European Commission is seeking more information from Meta after the company decided to discontinue its CrowdTangle transparency tool. This latest request for information (RFI) falls under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which allows regulators to enforce compliance with fines up to 6% of global annual turnover.

In April, the Commission filed a DSA infringement case against Meta, citing issues with CrowdTangle’s phase-out decision and election security. In the lead-up to the European Elections, this tool—which journalists and researchers use to track misinformation on Facebook and Instagram—was extremely important.

CrowdTangle’s features were temporarily extended in May, but on August 14, Meta closed the tool and replaced it with alternatives that, according to researchers, are significantly less successful.

In its most recent request, the EU requests Meta to outline its plans for adhering to DSA commitments, specifically with regard to researcher data access. The Commission is looking for comprehensive information regarding Meta’s API access requirements and content library.

Meta has until September 6 to respond, after which the Commission will decide on further action, including potential interim measures or non-compliance decisions. The ongoing investigation highlights the broader impact of the DSA on major platforms like Meta.