Facebook blocked the access of a group of researchers from New York University to study political ads and COVID-19 false information on Tuesday. This was done to prevent NYU's Ad Observatory, which launched a browser extension in 2020, from collecting data on the political ads that users see on Facebook.Facebook claims it blocked Ad Observatory due to NYU researchers violating the terms of service. The social media platform says that the NYU researchers scraped user data without permission. The Ad Observatory's academics claim they have permission from all users of their browser add-on. Facebook's attempts to block their research are further complicated by the fact that the platform is trying to prevent the academics from uncovering problems."By suspending accounts, Facebook has effectively ended this work," Laura Edelson (an NYU researcher involved with the project) tweeted August 3."Facebook also effectively blocked access to more than twenty-six other journalists and researchers who have access to Facebook data through the project. This includes our work measuring vaccine misinformation in collaboration with the Virality Program and many other partners who rely upon our data. Our team's work to make Facebook disinformation data transparent is crucial to a healthy internet, and a healthy democracy.It's understandable that Facebook is concerned about third-parties obtaining data from its platform in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Facebook initially claimed that Ad Observatory was blocked by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) because it had signed a consent decree. This is simply untrue.Later, Joe Osborne, a Facebook spokesperson, said to Wired that the consent decree was not the cause of the NYU researchers' actions. According to Reuters, Osborne instead noted that the consent decree required Facebook to create privacy rules that were violated by the researchers. In a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, the FTC acknowledged Facebook's reply. Samuel Levine, acting director, pointed out that the amended explanation doesn't change too much.Levine wrote that if Facebook had honored its commitment to reach out in advance, they would have pointed out the fact that the consent decree doesn't bar them from making exceptions for good faith research in the public interests. "Indeed the FTC supports efforts that shed light on opaque business practices and surveillance-based advertising. Although it is not our job to resolve individual disputes between Facebook users and third parties, we hope the company does not invoke privacy or the FTC consent order to advance other goals.Facebook seems to be hiding behind a consent order that doesn't work in this instance. Despite this, neither NYU Ad Observatory nor Facebook have any reason to move in the opposite direction.The whole thing is really challenging the U.S. authorities and encouraging them to finally pursue regulation. According to Casey Newton of The Verge, Congress should pass privacy legislation that includes a space for academic researchers and oversight over online platforms.Some politicians seem to agree. According to NPR, Sen. Mark Warner (a Democrat representing Virginia) called for Congress to "act to bring more transparency to the shadowy realm of online advertising." Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat said that Facebook's claim the NYU tool could violate privacy law was bogus.Public statements are not the same as legislation or laws. Ramya Krishnan is a Columbia University staff attorney with the Knight First Amendment Institute. She said that the entire situation of Facebook cutting off NYU researchers and academics not having any recourse was proof enough that lawmakers must do something."The company acts as a gatekeeper for journalism and research about the platform's functioning and its impact on society. She stated that this was "unsustainable." "The implications of Facebook's platform on democracy and public discourse are something the public must urgently understand."
