Facebook Relaunches Its Group API

Facebook, in hopes of protecting itself and its users from the recent Cambridge Analytica controversy, locked down their Group API which is used to build apps for groups. But recently Facebook has quietly launched groups app again.

Why Does It Matter

It matters because now all third-party apps using the Groups API will need to go through a mandatory review process, with the apps losing access to Group member lists and the names and profile pictures of people who had posted on them.

These approved Groups apps are reemerging on Facebook. They are accessible to admins through a new in-Facebook Groups app browser, which gives the platform control over discoverability.

Making Group Subscriptions a Better Platform

Groups, as we know, can often be a lot of burden on their admins, but they also generate tons of engagement for the social media platform. That is why the company recently began its group subscriptions service that allows admins to charge a monthly fee from the users.

This subscription method will become a source of making money and would keep the admins hooked to their groups.

Why Facebook Introduced Group API

With the right set of approved partners. The platform offers Group admins some of the capabilities usually reserved for big brands and businesses.

Facebook can’t build each and every tool that admins might need, so back in the year 2010, they launched Groups API so that users can build them. Before this, admins used to find third-party group management tools and use their Facebook account to give access to their Group’s data.

Third-party apps were used for various purposes such as moderating comments, gathering analytics and posting pre-composed content.

But in April, Facebook halted the use of the API, because of concerns about users data getting leaked.


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Yesterday the company also shut down more APIs and standalone apps in what appears to be an attempt to streamline the platform and to make it more secure.

Facebook confirmed this in a statement saying,

What you’re seeing today is related to changes we announced in April, that require developers to go through an updated app review process in order to use the Groups API. As part of this, some developers who have gone through the review process are now able to access the Groups API.



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