Instagram Disables Several APIs Used by Third-Party Apps - MacRumors
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Instagram Disables Several APIs Used by Third-Party Apps

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instagramlogoAlong with multiple privacy-related API changes being made to Facebook, Facebook, which owns Instagram, announced that it has disabled several Instagram Platform APIs as of today, disabling certain Instagram features that are available in third-party Instagram apps.

Third-party Instagram apps will no longer be able to use APIs that provide access to follower lists, likes, relationships, and public comments.

To continuously improve Instagram users' privacy and security, we are accelerating the deprecation of Instagram API Platform, making the following changes effective immediately. We understand that this may affect your business or services, and we appreciate your support in keeping our platform secure.

In the future, other APIs will be disabled. Starting on December 11, 2018, Instagram will no longer allow apps to read public content, and in early 2020, apps will not be able to read a user's own profile info and media. These APIs are all part of Instagram's older platform, and it has already been working towards transferring developers to a newer, more restrictive platform.

As TechCrunch points out, Instagram had originally planned on deprecating the APIs in July and December of 2018, but suddenly moved the timetable forward in the wake of Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal. While the remaining APIs won't be disabled fully until 2020, Instagram has implemented rate limit reductions on them as of last weekend to limit access.

Instagram previously allowed 5,000 API calls per user per hour, a number that has been cut down to 200.

Tag: Instagram

Top Rated Comments

HackerJL Avatar
HackerJL
109 months ago
So lets get an iPad app then...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scottdavidsmith Avatar
scottdavidsmith
109 months ago

Along with multiple privacy-related API changes being made to Facebook ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/04/facebook-cambridge-analytica-privacy-changes/'), Facebook, which owns Instagram, announced ('https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2018/04/restricting-data-access/') that it has disabled several Instagram Platform APIs ('https://www.instagram.com/developer/') as of today, disabling certain Instagram features that are available in third-party Instagram apps.

Third-party Instagram apps will no longer be able to use APIs ('https://www.instagram.com/developer/changelog/') that provide access to follower lists, likes, relationships, and public comments.In the future, other APIs will be disabled. Starting on December 11, 2018, Instagram will no longer allow apps to read public content, and in early 2020, apps will not be able to read a user's own profile info and media. These APIs are all part of Instagram's older platform, and it has already been working towards transferring developers to a newer, more restrictive platform.

As TechCrunch points out, Instagram had originally planned on deprecating the APIs in July and December of 2018, but suddenly moved the timetable forward in the wake of Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal. While the remaining APIs won't be disabled fully until 2020, Instagram has implemented rate limit reductions ('https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/02/instagram-api-limit/?source=techstories.org') on them as of last weekend to limit access.

Instagram previously allowed 5,000 API calls per user per hour, a number that has been cut down to 200.

Article Link: Instagram Disables Several APIs Used by Third-Party Apps ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/04/instagram-disables-third-party-app-apis/')
[doublepost=1522894226][/doublepost]Okay, Facebook/Instagram, so you're making it impossible for me to pull my own feeds so I can display them on my website....but, you're still selling my **** to your advertisers and developers? Yeah....okay......
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
luvbug Avatar
luvbug
109 months ago
The good old days: dumb phones connected to copper wires and no answering machines. Peace.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dampfnudel Avatar
dampfnudel
109 months ago
A lot of devs and others who rely on FB and Instagram to make money/promote themselves must be getting nervous. If the backlash gets worse and/or government regulation takes hold, in a couple of years or sooner, it could feel more like 2010 to them instead of 2020.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
martyjmclean
109 months ago
This is good for security but it isn't good for ad agencies/social/PR companies.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nameischarles Avatar
nameischarles
109 months ago
Still can’t believe they don’t have an iPad app or even a official desktop version. Currently I’m using Grid on my Mac, which is great and I hope that I can still use it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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