# Using Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) for research

## Legal restrictions on Meta platforms

Meta platforms explicitly prohibit unauthorised data scraping. Violating these terms can result in account suspension or legal consequences, so please follow the guidelines below:

### Facebook
Automated data scraping is not allowed. Facebook provides access through their **Graph API**, but permissions are limited, and most personal information is restricted. This API is primarily intended for business analytics, not research. Most personal data is inaccessible.

### Instagram
Similar to Facebook, Instagram prohibits data scraping. Only limited public content is available through Instagram’s API. Access is designed mainly for business insights rather than academic research.

### WhatsApp
WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption prohibits any form of data scraping, including metadata collection. Also, the service is understood as a protected messaging service, even when hundreds of people gather in groups and channels. Data collection is entirely forbidden for both privacy and security reasons.

⚠️ Scraping any Meta platform without explicit permission violates the terms and can lead to legal actions by Meta.