Instagram reportedly blocking images uploaded through some third-party apps
Hipstamatic Oggl app users might want to rethink those subscriptions. Select Windows Phone 8 imaging apps, such as Instance, may no longer be able to upload images to Instagram's photo sharing service. According to a spokesperson's comment published on The Verge, the site has updated its API, restricting access to third-party apps in an effort to "fight spam to help prevent future attacks and increase security." Images apparently still pop up on the platform, but are deleted seconds later. For now, it appears that the only way to share images on Instagram is to capture them directly within the app, or through a supported service like Hipstamatic Oggl, leaving some WP8 and BlackBerry users out in the cold. Let's hope this unwelcome change means additional OS support is on the way.
Update: We spoke to an Instagram representative, who provided the same ambiguous response we've already seen reported. "We recently made an update to the systems that we use to fight spam to help prevent future attacks and increase security. As part of this, applications accessing Instagram against the terms of our API may also be affected. This update does not specifically target any particular app or platform." Unfortunately, it's not clear which apps are affected, including Hipstamatic Oggl, but we're currently testing several third-party offerings and we'll share our results shortly.
Update 2: We've managed to test Hipstamatic Oggl, and the app was successfully able to upload an image to Instagram. It appears that this new restriction is limited to apps that aren't accessing the service in line with API requirements.
