Not only has Baltimore-based CrowdTangle figured out Facebook's content algorithm, but it's been able to share its data with news organizations to help them better understand what content performs best on the platform. Their analysis includes data on what kinds of posts show up in a user's timeline and the patterns found within Facebook's Trending News section.
So, of course, Facebook bought the five-year-old startup for an undisclosed amount. CrowdTangle announced the acquisition Friday afternoon.
The move is an especially timely one for Facebook as CEO Mark Zuckerberg continues to fight accusations that the fake news shared on the platform influenced the 2016 election.
"I am confident we can find ways for our community to tell us what content is most meaningful, but I believe we must be extremely cautious about becoming arbiters of truth ourselves," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook status Saturday night.
CrowdTangle is a popular tool among reporters and newsrooms. Its list of customers includes NPR, Vox Media, BuzzFeed, and tronc, formerly known as the Tribune Media Company.
The startup closed a $2.2 million seed round in May 2014.
