AdvertiseMint

Grow your business with Facebook, Instagram & TikTok advertising. Let's talk 844-236-4686.

  • Home
  • Services
    • Facebook Advertising Agency
    • Advertising Agency for Amazon
    • TikTok Advertising Agency
    • Google Ads Advertising Agency
    • Instagram Advertising Agency
    • Snapchat Advertising Agency
    • LinkedIn Advertising Agency
    • Spotify Advertising Agency
    • Pinterest Advertising Agency
    • YouTube Advertising Agency
  • Pricing
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • 844-236-4686
  • Get Started
You are here: Home / Facebook / Facebook Announces API Restrictions for Privacy Protection

July 5, 2018

Facebook Announces API Restrictions for Privacy Protection

Through an information gathering app, Cambridge Analytica harvested personal details from over 80 million Facebook users. To improve the relationship between users and app developers, Facebook has been investigating all the possible ways to protect users’ personal information. Vice President of Product Partnerships Ime Archibong explained several new API restrictions Facebook is implementing to instill safer and more secure experiences for users when they use apps connected to the platform. This of course is relevant to the world of FB advertising.

The new restrictions apply to six specific API products:

  • Graph API Explorer
  • Profile Expression Kit
  • Media Solutions
  • Pages API
  • Marketing API
  • Lead Ads Retrieval and Live Video APIs

Some restrictions involve a change in process or access while others involve the elimination of certain product offerings altogether. All changes were made to improve the user experience while also allowing developers to continue their working relationship with Facebook.

Graph API Explorer

Going forward, developers are still able to use the Graph API Explorer App to run test queries, but they must use their own apps’ access tokens to do so.

Profile Expression Kit

Approved developers currently can use the Profile Expression Kit to allow users to share any photos or videos created within the app on Facebook. For example, users could take a photo made in the app and use it as their Facebook profile picture. Since this feature hasn’t been used much, Facebook says it’s removing it come October 1.

Media Solutions

Media Solutions, a family of APIs for developers to use in constructing tools for Facebook’s media partners, will see three major changes. First, public content discovery APIs will be restricted to page content and public posts on profiles that have been verified. Second, developers will now no longer be able to use the Trending API, the Signal tool, Trending Topics, and Hashtag Voting for interactive TV experiences. And finally, Facebook will remove Topic Search, Topic Insights and Topic Feed, and Public Figure APIs on August 1 in response to minimal usage of these products.

Pages API

If developers receive feature permissions to Page Public Content Access after going through the app review process, they’ll once again be able to use the Pages API to search for Facebook pages. With this capability, developers can find similar pages, mention other pages in posts and comments, and tag pages in Facebook ads.

Marketing API

From now on, in order to use the Marketing API, which allows businesses to automate and scale their ads and easily manage their campaigns, developers must go through an app review. Additionally, Facebook has simplified the API’s structure to make it two-tier instead of three.

Lead Ads Retrieval and Live Video APIs

Facebook announced new app review permissions for its Lead Ads Retrieval and Live Video APIs. The latter allows apps to post live videos to pages, groups, and users’ timelines. This restriction means users will be asked to review and grant (or deny) new permissions before accessing an app through Facebook.

Developers will need to abide by these new restrictions to continue offering apps through Facebook.

Facebook isn’t alone in its changes to API. Twitter announced new API rules to prevent platform misuse back in March.

Comments

comments

Article by Anna Hubbel / Facebook

About Anna Hubbel

Anna Hubbel is a contributing writer for AdvertiseMint. Anna writes about trending digital advertising topics, including news stories, how-to guides, and detailed marketing strategies. She works as a freelance writer, having written columns for OnStage Blog, a theater-themed website, as well as other blogs. She also has experience as a videographer, photographer, and web designer. Anna earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication from Saint Vincent College in 2014. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Communication, with a focus on organizational communication, from the College at Brockport in 2019.

Complete Guide to Facebook Targeting

Download our FREE Facebook guide with over 850 ad targeting options.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Speak with an Advertising Specialist

Want to learn more about what advertising platforms are best for growing your business.

Schedule a FREE call with our experts. 

Ad Targeting Infographics

  • Amazon DSP Ad Targeting
  • Facebook Ad Targeting 
  • Hidden Facebook Ad Targeting
  • LinkedIn Ad Targeting
  • Snapchat Ad Targeting
  • Digital Ad Platform Policies
Hear the Audiobook FREE on Audible

Browse by Platform

  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Snapchat
  • Pinterest
  • Amazon
  • Google

Popular Articles

(Updated 2021) How to View What Your Facebook Profile Looks Like to Others

How to Make Money on TikTok

New Instagram Sorting Feature Shows Who Appears on Your Feed the Most

12 Ways to Become TikTok Famous

Here’s Where Instagram Keeps All the Posts You Liked

How to Hide Your Facebook Post from a Specific Person

Instagram’s Warning Notification Gives At-Risk Accounts a Second Chance

6 Important Marketing Theories and How to Apply Them on Social Media Campaigns

35 Banned and Restricted Products You Can’t Advertise on Facebook

The Best Time to Post on TikTok, According to Data

AdvertiseMint

  • Home
  • About
  • Careers
  • Blog
  • Definitions
  • Programs
  • FAQ
  • Press
  • Phishing Scam
  • Sitemap

NEWSLETTER

Get expert insights and latest news in digital advertising every week

NEWSLETTER

Certifications



advertisemint google partner     

7080 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028       |       844-236-4686

Facebook Advertising | Instagram Advertising | Google Advertising | Amazon Advertising | Pinterest Advertising | Tiktok Advertising
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
© 2021 AdvertiseMint All Rights Reserved.