Facebook Group API stop working after April 4, 2018 - facebook-graph-api

Here is a quote from https://developers.facebook.com/docs/apps/review/
Beginning April 4, 2018, all apps, including those formerly approved,
must undergo App Review in order to gain access to the Events API,
Groups API, and Pages API. Apps accessing the Events API and Groups
API will lose access and require review once App Review resumes. For
apps using Pages API, review will be required once App Review resumes
or access will be removed.
My app uses a Group API to fetch posts from the several groups and display it more convenient way. Now, to get it back I need to pass a Review which is forcing me to ask what permissions I want to use and show how (make a screencast)
Issues:
I don't need any permissions from the user.
The app is under the developing so I actually need to get an access to the API to create an APP and then show to a reviewer how to use it.
Here is API changes: Going forward, all apps will require explicit admin authorization. How exactly admin suppose to authorize it?
Any clarifications, discussions and tips are welcomed.

Related

How can I get manage_pages in Facebook Graph to make API calls for my page (personal use only)?

I have a FB page that is a member of about 10 groups (all related to the same topic), and sometimes when I post I share the post to these groups.
Since it's so tedious to manually share the post to each group, I thought maybe using the API could be a better way to share my post into these specific groups my page is a member of. But FB seems to require that I enter some business details for a business that doesn't exist.
I don't own a business, this is a page to share educational tips and such. So I created an app (kept it in dev mode) and I'm the only administrator. I don't plan to make my app public, create an interface or have anyone else use it, and I don't intend to use it with any pages other than mine. Plus, I've already provided my personal ID so I am verified as an individual:
But still, if I want to get manage_pages permission I'm required to go through some business verification and show FB how I'll use the API in a video, when I don't have any of this. In the verification page I'm requested to upload an icon, a privacy policy link and confirm commercial use:
Should I just make up some fake business information so I can give them what they want? Is there not a way to use the API for personal use?
I'd be happy with just being able to send a couple cURLs to share my post through a terminal instead of having to do it via the FB GUI.
The only requirement to complete review by business verification is to manage more than 3 pages per user, otherwise you can complete via individual verification. However you say pages and groups so it's not clear if you refer to publishing to a page feed or to a group (which requires additional permissions/features besides only manage_pages). And no, you shouldn't fake official documents just to complete business verification if you don't have a business...

Access public data of other users using Instagram/Facebook API

I would like to access other users public data to show in my website when they configure the page by their username/id.
It means I will create an app on FB/Instagram side and with the help of this app's access token I would like to fetch public data of other user.
Is this scenario valid now? Earlier it was possible but I am not sure now with changes in policies. Even the documents are not clear enough which can say it's possible or not?
Has anyone tried this out recently?
Users: Only data of users who specifically authorized your App is available, depending on the authorized permissions. It does not matter if data of user profiles is public or not, you have to get permission from each user separately.
Pages: If you want to get data of pages you don´t own, you have to go through a review process with your App to get access to "Page Public Content": https://developers.facebook.com/docs/apps/review/feature/#reference-PAGES_ACCESS
That´s for Facebook, about Instagram you can just hit the docs (as well): https://developers.facebook.com/docs/instagram-api/business-discovery
My number one recommendation, in this case, is Facebook API or Instagram API from Data365. I may be considered biased since it is the tool I work for, but it is really a reliable tool you can get public profile data by users ID or username.
Of course, you can use the official Facebook/Instagram APIs for searching all public objects (post, user, page, event, group, place, check-in). But note, the official API has a number of restrictions. Andyrandy has already described them in his answer. Compared with official APIs, we do not have such restrictions.
Besides, our APIs provide such unique features as gender and age recognition (via face photos) along with identification of post reactions that give a competitive advantage in obtained analytics. Data365 APIs also enable developers to create monitoring tasks for a one-time or auto data update. And above all, we do not break the law but only provide web scraping within the legal framework.

How to get permanent Facebook access token now that app's are not being reviewed

Apps are no longer being reviewed, but I need a permanent access token for a current project.
Does anyone know how to extend the access token. The current "extend access token" button that extends the token by 60 days results in this error. As does any request with an "unverified" app id.
facebook.GraphAPIError: (#200) Access to this data is temporarily disabled for non-active apps or apps that have not recently accessed this data due to changes we are making to the Facebook Platform. https://developers.facebook.com/status/issues/205942813488872/
According to Facebook:
"Beginning April 4, 2018, all apps, including those formerly approved,
must undergo App Review in order to gain access to the Events API,
Groups API, and Pages API. Apps accessing the Events API and Groups
API will lose access and require review once App Review resumes. For
apps using Pages API, review will be required once App Review resumes
or access will be removed."
You can read more about it here:
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/apps/review
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/graph-api/changelog/breaking-changes/?translation&hc_location=ufi#groups-4-4
Regarding the error that you receive, I currently have two applications. One which I've been using regularly and one that I haven't used for the past 6 months.
If I send a request to extend my token for the latter one, I receive the same error (which makes sense according to the error message), but if I send a request with the first one, I am able to extend the access token and get the expected response.
Please update us, once the problem is getting solved, let me know how much time Facebook team is taking to review.

Find out if you can post to users wall

I'm currently toying with the Facebook Graph Api and have been able to get some interesting results, I would like to be able to post to one of my Facebook App users pages. They have authenticated the app and confirmed the ability for my app to be able to post on there wall. I know there is the can_post check using FQL, but I haven't seen any information on this using the Graph API. Is there a possible check to make so I can see if I have the ability to post on there wall?
can_post
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/fql/user/
This settings is actually a setting of the timeline:
This setting only affects the viewers of the specific timeline and does not apply to the owner of the timeline.
can_post - bool - Whether or not the viewer can post to the user's Wall
Beyond this settings, by authenticating an application and giving it certain publishing permissions, the application, using it's per-user per-app access token will be able to perform actions on behalf the actual user. Actions will be attributed to the user even though it is the application that initiated and published these stories.
To answer what I assume is your underlying question - your application, given the appropriate permissions, will always be able able to publish a story to the users timeline. The act of giving an application any permissions is the same as allowing the application to act as you and access everything you would be able to access. This includes posting a story to your own timeline (even if no other user would be able to).

Read facebook ads stats without app on their white list?

I need to download ads statistics from Facebook. I use .NET library Facebook C# SDK, but I finished with *(294) Managing advertisements requires the extended permission ads_management, and a participating API key*.
I have *ads_management* rights already set, but I read I have to be on application whitelist - which I'm not. Does it really mean I have to wait now for 2 or 3 weeks till Facebook decide to put my app (which does not exists yet!) on some white list? There is no other way to read stats without application?
Thank you
Yes, your assumption is correct! Access to the Ads-API is heavily restricted through Facebooks PMD-program:
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/ads-api/
https://developers.facebook.com/preferredmarketingdevelopers/ads-api-access/