Limitations of social media APIs

However, there are some limitations too, which are:

• Rate limits: Social media companies need to take into account the amount of data that enters or leaves their systems. These are rules based on their infrastructural limitations and business objectives. We must not think of acquiring unlimited amounts of data at our own speeds. The amount of data and the speed of receiving are clearly stated by most social media platforms. We have to read them carefully and include them in our extraction strategy.
• API changes: This is one of the biggest challenges to deal with when developing applications or analysis using social data. Social media platforms are free to change or stop their API services own will. Such kinds of change or stoppage could severely impact development or analytics strategies. The only advice in such situations is to be prepared for it and have flexible systems to be able to adapt to the changes.
• Legal: This challenge is mainly in the use cases around social media APIs. The rules and regulations for social media platforms are strict about the type of usage of its data and services. We have to be conscious of the legal framework before thinking of our usage and applications. Any use of data from APIs that doesn't conform to the stipulated regulations risks legal implications.