Big Technology Podcast

The Rise And Fall Of Facebook's Big Transparency Acquisition — With Brandon Silverman

Sep 21, 2022

Brandon Silverman, the founder of Crowdtangle and former Meta employee, spills the tea on the journey of his social media analytics tool. He reveals how Crowdtangle transformed from a trend tracker to a vital resource for exploring Facebook's political content. Silverman shares insights into the struggles for transparency within Meta, the evolution of news engagement strategies, and the shift of news from Facebook to TikTok. Now working on transparency legislation worldwide, he advocates for a more accountable social media landscape.

01:21:24

Episode guests

Brandon Silverman

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

3min

The Evolution of CrowdTangle: From Organizing Tool to Trend Tracker

4min

Navigating Engagement and Misinformation

19min

Navigating Transparency: The CrowdTangle Challenge

24min

Shifting Priorities: Facebook's Evolving Stance on News

4min

Navigating News on Facebook: Trust and Bias

17min

Navigating News Shifts: Facebook to TikTok

6min

Closing Remarks and Upcoming Highlights

2min

Brandon Silverman is the founder of Crowdtangle, which Meta (then Facebook) acquired in 2016. Crowdtangle was once the most useful tool for marketers and publishers looking to find out what was trending on Facebook. Then, it became a favorite resource for reporters looking into how Facebook treats political content, leading to some headlines Facebook didn't like. Crowdtangle subsequently lost of support within the company. Silverman left Facebook late last year and is now working with governments around the world on legislation that could mandate the type of transparency that he tried to push forward inside Meta. On this episode of Big Technology Podcast, Silverman tells the Crowdtangle story from start to finish.

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.