80 million Instagram users are no longer able to find their friends on Twitter after the micro-blogging site killed the required API. The app’s “Find Friends” feature now presents an error when attempting to connect to Twitter, though the “Tweet Photo” function is still available.
As its name suggests, Instagram’s “Find Friends” feature allowed you to connect to your social networks to find out which of your friends were using Instagram. It’s particularly helpful to new users, who want a quick and simple way to find all their friends.
But the only social network it supports now if Facebook, because Twitter blocked Instagram’s access. Though the company — which is now owned by Facebook — is yet to make an official announcement, it is believed that the block may be a result of Instagram’s scale, and therefore its strain on Twitter data pulls when pulling your friends list.
But of course, there’s also a chance it goes a little deeper than that. As noted by TechCrunch, this could be seen as a competitive move on Twitter’s part to block a service that is now owned by its largest competitor.
It wouldn’t be the first to pull a stunt like this, of course. Back in June 2010, Facebook did a similar thing and blocked Twitter’s access to an in-app friend finder feature.
Source: TechCrunch
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
One response to “Twitter Blocks Instagram’s Handy ‘Find Friends’ Feature”
I’m not liking this, at all.. :(