- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Thousands march for Palestinians ahead of Oct 7 anniversary
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Toddler crushed to death in migrant Channel crossing
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
US lawmakers urge Meta to delay shutting down transparency tool
US lawmakers voiced "concern" Wednesday 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 August 14 -- less than three months before the US election.
Meta plans to replace it with a new tool that researchers say lacks the same functionality, and which many news organizations will not have access to.
"We write with concern about Meta's announced plan to end access" to the "powerful transparency tool," a group of bipartisan lawmakers wrote in a letter to Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.
"We urge Meta to, at a minimum, postpone this plan for six months and provide further information about its plans and commitment to ensure sufficient transparency for independent research going forward."
The letter seen by AFP was signed by 17 lawmakers –- on both sides of the political aisle –- including senators Chris Coons (Democrat) and Bill Cassidy (Republican) as well as representatives Lori Trahan (Democrat) and Neal Dunn (Republican).
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.
Meta is set to replace CrowdTangle with a new Content Library, a technology still under development.
It's a tool that some in the tech industry, including former CrowdTangle chief executive Brandon Silverman, say is currently not an effective replacement, especially in elections likely to see a proliferation of falsehoods enabled by artificial intelligence.
"We are deeply concerned that Meta Content Library has significant limitations that make it an inadequate replacement for CrowdTangle at the current time," the lawmakers wrote.
"There are also questions of how many organizations will have access to and the practical ability to use Meta Content Library if CrowdTangle access is ended."
There was no immediate comment from Meta.
Organizations that debunk misinformation as part of Meta's third-party fact-checking program, including AFP, will have access to the Content Library.
But the tech giant, which has been moving away from news across its platforms, will not make the new tool accessible to for-profit media.
Journalists have used CrowdTangle in the past to investigate public health crises as well as human rights abuses and natural disasters.
Killing off the tool is seen as a major blow in a year when dozens of countries are holding elections -- a period when bad actors typically spread false narratives more than ever.
Earlier this year, global nonprofit Mozilla Foundation voiced alarm in an open letter to Meta that was signed by dozens of tech watchdogs and researchers.
Decommissioning CrowdTangle would be a "direct threat" to the integrity of elections, the letter warned, calling on Meta to retain CrowdTangle at least until January 2025.
Ch.Havering--AMWN