Facebook Cuts Off NYU Researcher Access - Lawmaker Response

Facebook Terminates Researcher Accounts, Restricting Political Ad and Misinformation Studies

Late Tuesday, Facebook deactivated the accounts of two academic researchers, effectively halting their investigations into political advertising and the spread of misinformation on its platform – the largest social network globally.

The company alleges that these academics engaged in “unauthorized data collection” and breached user privacy protocols. However, many of Facebook’s detractors contend that these accusations serve merely as a pretext to suppress transparency initiatives.

Researchers Targeted: Edelson and McCoy

The actions were directed against Laura Edelson and Damon McCoy, prominent researchers associated with NYU’s Cybersecurity for Democracy project, who have previously challenged the company’s practices. This suspension removes their access to Facebook’s Ad Library – a key transparency feature – and data from CrowdTangle, a social media monitoring tool.

Facebook’s interactions with Edelson and McCoy predate this incident. Prior to the 2020 election, the company issued cease and desist notices, demanding the researchers disable their browser extension, Ad Observer, and retract their published findings.

Ad Observer and its Functionality

Ad Observer is a browser tool available to the public, designed to provide researchers with unique insights into Facebook’s ad targeting strategies – the very strategies that have contributed to the company’s trillion-dollar valuation.

“Through our access over the past several years, we have identified systemic deficiencies within the Facebook Ad Library, exposed misinformation in political advertisements – including those undermining faith in the electoral process – and analyzed Facebook’s potential amplification of biased misinformation,” Edelson stated via Twitter.

“By suspending our accounts, Facebook has brought this research to a standstill. Furthermore, Facebook has curtailed access for over twenty other researchers and journalists who relied on our project for Facebook data, including our work on vaccine misinformation with the Virality Project and numerous other collaborators.”

Criticism and Congressional Response

This event has sparked renewed criticism regarding Facebook’s inclination towards secrecy concerning potentially harmful activities occurring on its platform.

By Wednesday, the actions had drawn scrutiny from members of Congress. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) criticized Facebook’s justification for penalizing the researchers, given the company’s documented history of privacy violations. Wyden also questioned Facebook’s assertion that the access revocation aligns with a privacy order issued by the FTC.

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) also expressed concern, describing the decision as “deeply concerning.” Warner lauded independent researchers for consistently enhancing the integrity and safety of social media platforms by uncovering detrimental and exploitative practices.

Support for Ad Observer and Condemnation of Facebook’s Actions

“It’s imperative that Congress take action to increase transparency in the opaque realm of online advertising, which remains a significant source of fraud and misconduct,” Warner added.

Mozilla, the developer of Firefox, defended Ad Observer, stating that the company had conducted thorough reviews – including code analysis and consent flow examination – before recommending the extension through its marketplace. Mozilla’s chief security officer asserted that Facebook’s claims are unsubstantiated.

Numerous free press organizations, researchers, and misinformation experts also condemned Facebook’s decision on Wednesday. Julia Angwin and Nabiha Syed of The Markup stated, “Facebook’s relaxed approach to privacy facilitated its dominance.”

“However, now that independent researchers seek to examine that platform and its influence, Facebook is invoking user privacy as a shield.”

The incident highlights the ongoing tension between social media platforms and researchers seeking to understand and mitigate the risks associated with online information ecosystems.