Facebook Authentication Breaking Change | JFBConnect v7.2.0

At the beginning of April, Facebook implemented a change that broke authentication for many websites. We identified the change quickly and released JFBConnect v7.2.0 which fixed this problem and added some great new features we've been working like Open Graph tag improvements, more social widgets, K2, JomSocial & Kunena improvements and more.

Facebook Authentication Failures

Facebook is continuing its march forward with their application interface. Periodically, Facebook comes out with a new specification for how to engage with their platform and we're always working to keep JFBConnect ahead of the curve. We've periodically put out Graph API roadmaps in the past indicating when versions of JFBConnect may run into issues. 

Unfortunately, Facebook made a change that caught us offguard and can break authentication. It was an underlying update in how Facebook responds with details about the user trying to login. That change seems to be rolling out across all Facebook applications as we've seen some apps that are still not affected by the update while others are.

We highly recommend testing the Facebook authentication feature on your site and ensure it's working as expected. If you have problems, or to ensure it keeps functioning, we recommend upgrading to JFBConnect v7.2.0 which fixes this issue has the additional improvements detailed below.

JFBConnect v7.2.0

We're always working on adding new features to JFBConnect and had already been working on an big update. Once the Facebook authetication issue cropped up, we ran through our tests and got the release out as quickly as we could. We're excited about this update and think you will be too!

Social Registrations by Domain Only

We've had this request a bit over time. Some sites want to be restricted and doing that by email address is a good option. Now, you can easily set a specific email domain (example.com) that users will be able to register using a social network from. If they aren't using a social network account with that domain, they won't be able to register.

Open Graph Component Exclusion

Some extensions already include their own Open Graph tags. Some sites don't want to have Open Graph tags automatically set on certain content. Whatever the reason, we realized our Open Graph tags on all pages was causing some problems. With this update, you can set specific components that JFBConnect should ignore when setting tags.

3rd Party Extension Improvements

We integrate with a lot of Joomla extensions. As they evolve, JFBConnect needs to update as well. The following updates are in JFBConnect v7.2.0:

  • JomSocial - Location field type now supported for profile import
  • K2 - Social Autoposting was creating incorrect URLs
  • Community Builder - Support for langauge strings for all required fields
  • Kunena - Fix fatal error when using Kunena 5

Social Widget Updates

The following updates are included for our nearly 50 social widgets:

  • The JFBCSocialShare module can now be turned off in mobile layouts
  • VK widgets! We've never had VK widgets before, but we know many sites use VK and are excited to create deeper integration with this network
  • Pinterest 'Pin It' now correctly parses all tags from the Social configuration area of JFBConnect

Upgrade Now

If you use Facebook authentication on your site, we highly recommend upgrading as soon as possible. If you're not using Facebook authentication, you have more time to update at your leisure, but we still recommend upgrading to ensure compatibility going forward with each social network and 3rd party Joomla extensions.

If you aren't a subscriber, or your subscription has expired, go ahead and subscribe now:

Alex Andreae

Alex co-founded SourceCoast Web Development in 2008. Based in sunny Florida, SourceCoast develops extensions for integrating your Joomla powered website with popular social networks. He has spoken at more than a dozen Joomla User Groups and Joomla Days, including the Joomla World Conference in both 2012 and 2013. Topics have included social networking for Joomla, running a business around Joomla extensions, and Joomla development.


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