Meta's Third-Party Augmented Reality Filters Are Leaving the Platform for Good

Last summer, Meta announced it would soon be discontinuing support for third-party augmented reality (AR) face filters on Instagram and Facebook. That time is here. On January 14, the social media giant will shut down Meta Spark, its platform that empowers creators to design and share custom AR filters, disabling the feature on the app. At that point, only AR effects from Meta itself will be available for use.

So, what's next for augmented reality on Meta? As of now, it remains unclear how the company plans to evolve its offerings going forward. While the discontinuation of Spark marks the end of an era, especially for artists who currently use the platform to showcase their work, they'll need to pivot towards Snapchat, TikTok and other social media apps to display their skills. AR filters are a powerful form of self-expression, enabling both users and creators to experiment with new hair colors, virtually try on makeup and explore endless possibilities for transforming their look.

Despite the conversation around their empowerment, filters that alter your appearance (such as smoothing the skin or thinning the jawline) can create unrealistic beauty standards. Beautifying filters are known to decrease body satisfaction, as numerous studies demonstrate, including one from Shandong University of Arts. This can contribute to mental health issues, such as body dysmorphia.

For more details on the closure, you can read the official blog post announcing the end of Meta Spark on the brand's website.

For more news at the intersection of beauty and technology, check out our explainer on AI skincare analysis.

Click here to view full gallery at Hypebae