Recently, Meta quietly released an update announcing that, effective April 22, 2024, it would discontinue 3rd party access to group data by deprecating its existing Facebook Groups API. This means that TREND will no longer be able to analyze conversation data from within Facebook Groups.
Since TREND Community was founded in 2017, we have navigated many similar changes as Meta has altered access to data in the past, often with short notice, and we anticipated there would be potential changes and deprecation this year.
We understand the latest decision may raise concerns among the rare and chronic disease Facebook support groups we collaborate with. Many of you rely on our technology to uncover crucial data to craft insights surrounding disease burden and management, playing a vital role in raising awareness for your conditions, advocating for those affected by rare and chronic diseases, and driving progress in healthcare.
That’s why our team has been proactively planning for this scenario since the middle of last year that will enable us to continue to generate community experience data for analysis. The TREND team has developed alternative solutions and initiatives, which provide new opportunities and advantages we are excited to share with you. In a few days, we will be announcing the first of these and will be available to support you and the many communities we work with throughout this transition.
Our dedication to innovation and adaptability has and continues to empower us to navigate these challenges effectively and deliver impactful solutions to support your initiatives. We look forward to emerging stronger together, driving positive change in the healthcare landscape.
We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. We can be reached on our contact page.
Thank you for your continued trust and partnership.
Maria Picone, Founder/CEO
Christopher DeFelice, Founder/CTO