Meta Content Library

New secure computing options for Meta Content Library API

Researchers are now able to choose between accessing Meta Content Library API on SOMAR’s secure computing platform, the Virtual Data Enclave, or on the Meta Secure Research Environment. Learn more about the two computing environments on the Meta Content Library documentation.

What is Meta Content Library?

Meta Content Library is a dataset of publicly-available content from Facebook and Instagram. Meta Content Library allows researchers to explore and understand data across Facebook and Instagram by offering a visual and searchable collection of publicly accessible content.

How do researchers access Meta Content Library?

There are two methods of accessing Meta Content Library: a web-based user interface (UI) and an API.

Content Library UI: Meta Content Library has a web-based user interface in which to explore data, test out search parameters, and assess whether the resulting data is appropriate for your planned research. No knowledge of query or programming languages is needed.

Content Library API: Content Library API is a complementary API product that allows researchers to programmatically pull data from the same public content library. Researchers can choose to access this API in either the SOMAR Virtual Data Enclave or the Meta Secure Research Environment. Lead researchers can select to access Content Library API on either secure computing platform in their Meta Content Library application for their team.

What data are available in Meta Content Library?

Both Meta Content Library UI and API provide public content from Facebook and Instagram. The UI also provides access to content from Threads. Details about the content, such as the content owner, number of reactions, shares, views and more are available, with some differences based on the platform and content type.

For the full data scope of the UI, reference the UI documentation. For the full data scope of the API, reference the API documentation.

Apply for Meta Content Library

The application can be accessed through the Meta application portal.

See the Get Access page on the Meta Content Library documentation to learn more about the application and eligibility requirements.

Data Deletion Requirements for SOMAR VDE users

Researchers who are using Meta Content Library API in the SOMAR Virtual Data Enclave (VDE) are subject to Meta Content Library data deletion requirements. Every 180 days, researchers are required to delete data that are no longer part of Meta Content Library. ICPSR staff will provide a list of content IDs that must be deleted from the researcher’s Virtual Data Enclave workspace. Researchers will have 30 days to delete the required data and certify to ICPSR that they have done so.

Researchers with approved research agendas that contribute to the detection, identification, and understanding of systemic risks in the European Union are exempt from this requirement.

Onboarding and Offboarding Researchers

What happens if a researcher changes institutions during the course of their research?

Please see the scenarios below for Lead Researcher’s and Collaborator’s changes in institution:

Lead Researcher: If the Lead Researcher needs continued access to Meta Content Library, they will need to submit a new application and notify Meta via metaresearchapplications@meta.com of the institutional change.

Collaborator: If the Collaborator needs continued access to Meta Content Library, their Lead Researcher will need to invite the Collaborator to the approved research program with the Collaborator’s new organizational email address. The Collaborator will need to submit a new application and notify Meta via metaresearchapplications@meta.com.

Offboarding researchers

If a Lead Researcher has completed their research program or no longer needs access to Meta Content Library, please notify Meta via metaresearchapplications@meta.com.

If a collaborator has left the research team or no longer needs access to Meta Content Library, please notify Meta via metaresearchapplications@meta.com