Skip to main content

Meta cuts off third-party access to Facebook Groups API's





The recent announcement from Meta about the impending shutdown of its Facebook Groups API has sent shockwaves through businesses and social media marketing circles.


On January 23, Meta unveiled its Facebook Graph API v19.0, which included news of the deprecation of its current Facebook Groups API. Meta stated that within 90 days, the existing API, utilized by developers and businesses for scheduling posts to Facebook Groups, will be discontinued. This includes the removal of all associated Permissions and Reviewable Features.


A key feature of the API was the ability for developers to privately respond within Facebook Groups. For instance, small businesses could efficiently send a single message to individuals who posted or commented in their Facebook Group using the API. However, Meta highlighted that a new feature in the v19.0 API would facilitate this without the need for the Groups API.


Despite Meta's rationale, developers expressed concerns about the API shutdown's impact on businesses providing scheduling and social media automation solutions. Adam Peterson, CEO of VipeCloud, noted the significant effect on his business, which services around 5,000 Facebook accounts, primarily female entrepreneurs.


These entrepreneurs rely on VipeCloud's access to Facebook's APIs to communicate privately within Groups, which serve as alternatives to Slack for team collaboration.


Peterson emphasized that the closure affects agency partners disproportionately, jeopardizing their entire business models centered around automation services.


Moreover, smaller companies, often without substantial funding, providing market-specific services will face considerable challenges.


The closure spells the end for PostMyParty, a platform aiding social sellers in scheduling online parties, resulting in multimillion-dollar losses and significant repercussions for its customers.


This isn't the first time Meta has blindsided developers with abrupt changes. The sudden end to the Events API years ago left businesses scrambling.


The motivation behind Meta's decision remains unclear. Speculation revolves around Facebook Groups' lack of ad revenue, but Meta's blog post only addressed one use case affected by the v19.0 API.


Meta Certified Community Manager Maurice W. Evans believes the move signals a shift in Meta's operational philosophy, posing both challenges and opportunities for businesses and developers.


On social media and forums, businesses and developers lament the lack of clarity and express frustration over the impending shutdown's impact on ongoing and upcoming projects.


Despite the outcry, Meta's silence on developer concerns leaves many in limbo, uncertain about the future of their projects.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

AT&T Resets Millions of Customer Passcodes After Data Leak: What You Need to Know

AT&T recently confirmed a significant data breach affecting over 7.6 million current customers and 65 million former customers. The leaked information, which dates back to 2019 or earlier, includes personal details like names, addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers. Fortunately, financial information and call history were not compromised. In response to the breach, AT&T has reset passcodes for affected customers. Passcodes, usually four-digit numbers, serve as an additional layer of security when accessing accounts. However, security experts warn that the encrypted passcodes leaked alongside customer information could be easily deciphered, posing a risk of unauthorized account access. Affected customers are advised to set up free fraud alerts with major credit bureaus and remain vigilant for any suspicious activity related to their accounts. AT&T is proactively reaching out to impacted customers via email or letter to inform them about the breach and the meas...
Read more

Signal Introduces Usernames for Encrypted Messaging: A Secure Way to Connect

Signal, the encrypted messaging service, is launching a new feature in the coming weeks: support for usernames. This beta feature allows users to establish unique usernames, enabling connections without divulging phone numbers. source: Signal Blog To create a username, navigate to your settings and select "Profile." Once you've chosen a unique username, generate a QR code or link to share with others. Recipients can connect by entering your username into the chat bar. Usernames can be changed at any time, though previous usernames may be claimed by others. Signal began testing usernames last fall. Unlike social media platforms, Signal usernames do not serve as logins or public handles. They offer a discreet means of communication without revealing personal phone numbers. While a phone number is required to register for Signal, sharing it is optional. Usernames remain private and do not appear on profiles or in chats unless shared explicitly. As Randall Sarafa, Signal'...
Read more

Facebook is shutting down news tab in US and Australia

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is making big changes to how it handles news content on its platform. It's planning to remove the news tab from Facebook in the U.S. and Australia by April 2024. This decision follows the discontinuation of Facebook News in the UK, Germany, and France last year. The number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the U.S. has dropped significantly, which influenced Meta's decision. The company wants to focus more on what users enjoy, like short-form videos, rather than news articles. News content makes up less than 3% of what people see on their Facebook feed, so most users might not even notice this change. Over time, publishers have also noticed less traffic coming from Facebook to their websites. This move is partly because of new regulations in countries like Australia and Canada, which require platforms like Facebook to pay online publishers for their content. Meta has decided not to invest in new news-related products and won't ...
Read more