Opinion.

LinkedIn, but not to the APIs

13/07/2015

At a glance

Earlier this year, LinkedIn changed its strategy in relation to third party access to its API (the ‘application program interface’, a set of commands, functions, and protocols which app developers can use to “plug-in” new features, enhance certain functionalities or capture data). At the same time, LinkedIn changed its API Terms of Use, setting out eligibility criteria which prevent certain mobile applications from making use of the APIs or LinkedIn’s content, in particular, those used for hiring, marketing or sales, or which store or export any data from LinkedIn. For developers who make use of LinkedIn’s API, these initiatives may have a significant negative, potentially ruinous, impact on their business model.

In detail

What has changed?

Having previously offered “open” APIs since 12 May this year, only LinkedIn’s Profile API, Share API and Company API have been available for general use. If these are insufficient for a developer’s needs, they will need to apply to become members of the various Partnership Programs, centred on consumer, talent, sales and marketing solutions. The application process is simple: you submit an online form whereby you present your case to LinkedIn, providing details about your business metrics, proposed audience, the requested data and API etc., and you can expect to receive a response from the LinkedIn Business Development team within 15 days. Members of these Partnership Programs can expect to receive access to the relevant, if not all, of the otherwise restricted APIs.

LinkedIn has been selective in accepting members into the Partnership Programs. Having announced major partnerships with the likes of Microsoft, Apple and Samsung, small developers may find themselves left out in the cold.

The difficulties in gaining membership are further exacerbated by the change in LinkedIn’s API Terms of Use. The terms prohibiting any mobile apps which are connected with sales or recruitment from using the APIs, are seemingly being used to justify developers gaining membership to the Partnership Programs.

What now?

LinkedIn is, of course, free to set its terms of use, and this strategy is not unusual. In 2012, Twitter introduced restrictions on how third parties make use of its API, effectively limiting the use of data from its network among entities that were not approved partners and routing more users through Twitter’s own web and mobile app destinations. No doubt this shift in LinkedIn’s policy is designed to funnel more traffic to specific sites and further monetize the value in its data.

For those developers who find themselves locked out of LinkedIn’s APIs, and who have not been granted access to the Partnership Programs, there is no quick-fix solution. Developers will no doubt explore alternatives, and possibly look to strengthen their integration with other social media platforms. With over 350 million users, LinkedIn has previously enjoyed a huge share of the social media market geared towards business; it will be interesting to see if this strategy has the effect of driving the emergence of competitor products. Those who may previously have built their business models around LinkedIn or other third party APIs will think twice about doing so in future.

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