Facebook buys CrowdTangle, a social analytics tool for publishers

Facebook’s latest acquisition is CrowdTangle, a startup that tracks how links are shared on social media services like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

CrowdTangle appears to be most popular with media companies — customers include NPR, the BBC, BuzzFeed, and Vox — but the service also boasts of customers across marketing agencies, sports leagues, and nonprofits.

Facebook says “publishers around the world turn to CrowdTangle to surface stories that matter, measure their social performance, and identify influencers. We are excited to work with CrowdTangle to deliver these and more insights to more publishers.”

While CrowdTangle helps publishers track stories online, it’s unlikely the service will address one of Facebook’s biggest editorial challenges.

Facebook’s on-again, off-again relationship with publishers has been abrasive at best lately. And following the 2016 U.S. election, as numerous news organizations have documented and critiqued Facebook’s role in the spread of misinformation, some journalists are pleading with Facebook to improve its news feed.

Facebook has said it will work to address the issue, but only yesterday CEO Mark Zuckerberg denied outright that fake news on Facebook influenced the U.S. election in any way.

CrowdTangle will live on following the deal. A spokesperson declined to share how much Facebook paid for the company.