Meta closes augmented reality platform Spark to third parties

Meta Platform has announced that it will close its own AR platform called “Spark” to third-party tools and content on January 14, 2025. This means that filters and augmented reality effects provided by external developers, which can be used for Facebook and Instagram, will no longer be available from next year. The reaction from developers and Spark users is intense. Some complain that they are being deprived of their source of income in a matter of months.

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Spark AR is a software development kit (SDK) from Meta Platforms launched in 2017 that enables developers of augmented reality effects to create and distribute facial filters for the Instagram feed. This is no small feat, as shown by looking at the gist of the popular filter for “Instagram Face”. But that will be over shortly.

However, Meta does not fully function without augmented reality (AR) and related filters, only from external developers. Because AR effects from Meta will continue to be available in the group’s own apps, e.g. Meta writes. Meta would like to thank the developer community, companies, and all stakeholders who have been part of the journey with Spark as it continues to bring AR to the hundreds of millions of users of the Meta platform.

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Meta upsets hundreds of thousands of external developers

In addition to filters and AR effects for image design on Facebook or Instagram, Meta also expanded these functions in 2021 to include Messenger, video telephony within Instagram, and smart displays in the now discontinued Portal series. At this point, according to Meta, more than 600,000 developers from over 190 countries had created AR effects using these tools, TechCrunch reports,

Still, Meta wants to leave third-party providers and their AR effects and filters in the future. The Facebook group justifies the closure of Spark to third-party providers with efforts to “prioritize products that we believe will best meet the future needs of our consumers and business customers alike.” More details may be available at the event on September 25, 2024 Meta Connect,

Protest by a community that too will be stopped soon

“Opposition to developers within”Meta Spark Community“, a public Facebook group with about 142,000 members, is larger. Some require detailed justifications for the exclusion of third-party providers, others are looking for alternative platforms for AR development. The AR platform “Lens Studio” is recommended here A petition was also started for Snapchat to include Meta and continue to block Spark for third parties.

Meta will not only close Spark to third parties, but will also archive the Meta Spark community on Facebook. Starting January 14, 2025, this Facebook group will be read-only, but new posts and comments will no longer be able to be posted.

(FDS)