Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced that it will be discontinuing its social analytics tool, CrowdTangle, on August 14, 2024. This decision comes as Meta shifts its focus toward developing new research tools. While users can still access CrowdTangle and its Chrome Extension until the discontinuation date, no new users will be able to be added to accounts during this time.
This news has significant implications for marketers and publishers who rely on CrowdTangle for trend analysis, post monitoring, and analytics. They will now need to seek alternative tools as the platform is being phased out. Access to CrowdTangle’s User Interface, API, Chrome Extension, and Historical Data feature will be discontinued from August 14, 2024.
Advertisers can still utilize Insights within Meta Business Suite (MBS) following the deprecation of CrowdTangle. Additionally, they have the option to collaborate with third-party providers that offer social listening capabilities built on top of Meta’s APIs. These alternatives will help fill the void left by CrowdTangle’s discontinuation.
The decision to discontinue CrowdTangle comes after the platform faced accusations in 2021 of providing misleading data about Meta’s apps’ role in spreading divisive political content. A bot account created by The New York Times journalist Kevin Roose regularly highlighted the most popular Facebook posts based on data from CrowdTangle. These posts often focused on right-wing spokespeople and Pages, leading to speculation that Facebook’s algorithms were boosting such content.
In response to these accusations, Facebook disbanded the CrowdTangle team in July 2021. However, the platform continued to offer data insights to users despite expectations of its end. Rumors of Meta planning to sunset the platform have been circulating since then, and now those rumors have been confirmed with the official announcement.
Meta has stated that the discontinuation of CrowdTangle is part of their efforts to evolve their data-sharing products alongside technology and regulatory changes. They believe that phasing out CrowdTangle will allow them to focus resources on developing new research tools, such as the Meta Content Library & Content Library API. These tools are designed to provide useful, high-quality data to researchers while meeting new regulatory requirements for data-sharing and transparency.
In conclusion, the discontinuation of CrowdTangle by Meta has significant implications for marketers and publishers who rely on the platform for social analytics. While alternative tools and options are available, users will need to adapt to these changes and find new ways to analyze trends and monitor posts. Meta’s decision is driven by the need to evolve their data-sharing products and focus on new research tools that meet regulatory requirements. The future of social analytics in the Meta ecosystem remains uncertain, but marketers and publishers will need to stay informed and explore alternative solutions to meet their analytics needs.
