If so, make sure you’ve read the following changes recently made to Hootsuite policy.
To keep users’ information safe and secure, Facebook is changing the way all partners like Hootsuite access data. Hootsuite is in full support of these changes because they believe they are critical to maintaining trust between social media users. Some of these changes have impacted or will impact Hootsuite functionality.
As of April 4th, changes to the Facebook and Instagram APIs have impacted Hootsuite in the following ways:
- Facebook Group, Event, and Page Search streams will no longer display identifiable user information such as username and profile picture.
- Facebook Page Search streams will be deprecated. It will no longer be possible to add streams for Pages you do not own.
- Facebook Events and Groups will be deprecated from the dashboard, including:
- Events streams for Facebook profiles, groups, and Pages.
- All Facebook Group streams: Timeline, Scheduled, and Activity.
- Publishing to Groups.
- Facebook Pages added or reconnected in Hootsuite after April 4 will no longer support Facebook private messaging functionality. This means that the following will no longer be available:
- Messages stream for Facebook Pages.
- Automation and assignments for Facebook private messages.
- Mentioning Instagram users, Facebook Pages, or Facebook users in posts will no longer be supported.
- Tagging Facebook branded content will no longer be supported.
- Liking Instagram posts or comments will no longer be supported.
- Following or unfollowing Instagram users will no longer be supported.
- Commenting on Instagram posts will no longer be supported, except Instagram Business profiles who can continue commenting on their own posts.
- Instagram user search streams will be deprecated.
- Instagram data will no longer be available in Hootsuite Impact’s Brand Tracker module.
As a social media manager, these changes are sure to impact the day to day management of our client’s social media platforms and the implication of this will only be felt in the coming weeks.
Is this the start of the end for all third-party apps on Facebook? I think so.