Facebook this evening announced that it’s shutting off access to its application programming interface, the developer platform that lets app makers access user data, for hundreds of thousands of inactive apps. The company had set an August 1st deadline back in May, during its F8 developer conference, for developers and businesses to re-submit apps to an internal review, a process that involves signing new contracts around user data collection and verifying one’s authenticity.

For developers who missed the deadline, the social media giant said it's still open to apps being submitted for review, for now.


"Where we need more information, developers will have a limited amount of time to respond. If we don’t hear back within that timeframe, we will remove the app’s access to APIs that require approval," the post adds.

Facebook says developers will not lose their API access while their app is in the queue for review, or while Facebook is in the process of reviewing the app, so long as the software complies with its revised policies.