Developer Platform

Platform Initiatives Hub

Learn about improvements being made to ensure developers have the tools and information they need to continue to use our platform responsibly.

The Facebook Platform enables you to build innovative and unique products and solutions, empowering you to grow your business. We are committed to building a safer, more sustainable platform to create trust with users and drive longterm value for developers. Thus, safeguarding and protecting of user data is a shared responsibility we have with all developers on the platform. As part of our commitment to user privacy, we are sharing our vision for empowering developers to act as stewards of the platform.

1

Ensure contact info and app administrator designation is up to date for each app within your organization.

2

Audit all of your apps and delete any that you or your organization is no longer using.

3

Review the permissions your apps have access to, removing any that you no longer need.

Clearer Guidance Around Data Usage

Learn all about the important measures being taken to provide developers with heightened clarity around data usage and handling.

 
 

New Platform Terms & Developer Policies

We are simplifying and consolidating the Facebook Platform Policy (including Messenger Platform), Instagram Platform Policy, Supplemental Terms for Extended Platform Products, and Tech Provider Amendment into two new documents: Platform Terms and Developer Policies.

These updates will help developers more clearly understand their responsibilities when using our tools and platforms.

We are moving all the integrity, quality control, user experience, content, aesthetic, and functional requirements to a single document called the Developer Policies.

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Allowed Usage

Updated our documentation to give developers more clarity on our data usage permissions and the experiences they're intended to support.

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Changelog

As part of our ongoing commitment to privacy and security, we will continue to periodically remove third-party access to some APIs.

Docs

Required migration to token-based access

Starting October 24, 2020, developers need to migrate to token-based access in order to access User Picture and oEmbed endpoints for Facebook and Instagram.

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Better Accountability Mechanisms

More tools and controls for better accountability into the developer lifecycle.

Data Use Checkup

On September 10th, we announced the broad launch of Data Use Checkup, an annual process for developers to review the types of data they have access to via Facebook Platform APIs and confirm that their use of that data complies with our terms and policies.

Data Use Checkup is a time-bound requirement, and developers who do not certify within the allotted amount of time risk losing access to the Facebook Platform.

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Data Protection Assessment

With the ever-changing and continuously evolving threats to people’s privacy, we at Meta have a responsibility to work with our developer community to set standards for how people’s data is being used, shared, and protected across the internet. To do this well, we need to ensure people only have access to the data they need. We do that through the Data Use Checkup (DUC). Once they have access, Data Protection Assessment ensures they are using, sharing, and protecting that data according to our Meta Platform Terms. The Data Protection Assessment is only required for developers who have apps that access certain types of user data on our platform.

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App Review

Data Use Checkup will be coupled with App Review to vet Platform access.

Through App Review, developers must complete a thorough submission to justify that their intended access to Facebook Platform APIs is in compliance with our platform policies, only uses the necessary permissions, and provides the best possible experience for users or clients.

App Review process will continue to be improved by strengthening and standardizing our enforcement criteria and ensuring that enforcement is consistent across types of apps and is aligned to our allowed usage.

An Improved Developer Experience

Experience improvements in our interfaces to streamline operations and drive developer value.

 

App Onboarding

We're building contextual onboarding experiences for different use cases that developers have, starting with businesses and games.

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App Dashboard Task List

We'll be rolling out a task list with critical information within the App Dashboard serving as a single location that unifies all required actions that need to be taken for any given app.

App Review changes for Business apps

We're customizing and streamlining the App Review process for developers who use the Platform to build on-Facebook experiences for their businesses.

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An Improved User Experience

Additional policy guidance in order to provide your users a positive experience.

Enforcement Protocols

Learn about our enforcement protocols and ensure we can reach you if we detect a policy violation from one of your apps.

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Understanding some of our policies

We're providing a deep dive on some of our policies and guidance on how to comply with these policies.

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