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.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Facebook's Initial Interest
- Silverman and his co-founder were initially wary of Facebook's interest, fearing their idea would be copied.
- Facebook became a Crowdtangle client, admitting they lacked similar internal tools.
Acquisition Catalyst
- Facebook's acquisition interest stemmed from their push to improve relationships with the news industry.
- Crowdtangle's ability to track news performance made it a valuable asset.
Acquisition Announcement
- The Crowdtangle acquisition was announced two days after the 2016 election.
- Silverman recalls a "funereal" atmosphere due to the unexpected result.