Facebook shuts down ‘hundreds of thousands’ of apps not submitted for inspection

Facebook has announced that it is blocking hundreds of thousands of apps on its social network from accessing its API. Developers had to submit their apps for inspection by August 1. The company also removed pages and accounts for influence.

The company writes in its announcement that it concerns inactive apps that have not been registered for the inspection process. It says developers of those apps can still sign up now. Facebook will also sign up apps that are still in use for the process. If more information is needed, the app owner has a limited time to respond. If this is not forthcoming, Facebook will deny access to the APIs that require prior permission.

Facebook announced the review process in May as one of its measures following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Part of the process is that developers who want to use certain APIs must verify their business and sign additional contracts. Providers that fulfill the role of third-party tech provider must also sign new contracts. For example, they may only use data collected for a particular party to provide services to that client.

Facebook also announced that it has removed 32 accounts and pages from its social network and Instagram that were “involved in coordinated fake behavior.” Facebook says it doesn’t know who is behind the accounts, but claims the people behind it have gone to greater lengths to disguise their true identities than the Internet Research Agency.

That organization was named in Special Counsel Mueller’s indictment of 13 Russians for influencing the 2016 US presidential election. They allegedly created fictitious accounts on social media services to sow discord. According to Facebook, there are links between the now-identified accounts and those of the Internet Research Agency, also known as a “troll factory.” However, there would not be enough evidence for an actual relationship.