Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for access, applicants must be affiliated with a qualified academic institution or a qualified research institution. Individuals from different disciplinary and professional backgrounds are welcome to apply.

For academic institutions, qualified means the institution meets all of the following criteria:

• Dedicated to the pursuit of education and research.
• Accredited, as indicated by recognized standards and evidence on the institution's website (such as a university), or as demonstrated by documentation provided to CASD.
• Qualified to grant academic degrees (such as undergraduate, graduate, doctoral).
• A not-for-profit endeavor (in other words, not a business whose sole purpose is to make a profit).

For any non-academic institution (organization, institute, society, or other entity), qualified means that it is a not-for-profit institution whose primary purpose or core activity is to conduct scientific or public interest research.

Application and access process

Step 1: Review application requirements and submit an application.

Before you begin your application, review the application guide and product documentation for Meta Content Library. The Secure Data Access Center (CASD, Le Centre d’Accès Sécurisé aux Données) independently reviews applications for access to Meta Content Library.

As the lead researcher of your team, submit an application about your research program, organization and your collaborators on Research Tools Manager.

If you are a collaborator on a research team, your lead researcher will need to invite you to the research program. Follow the instructions in the application guide for how to receive your invitation to submit your application. Note that the collaborator application will only be reviewed once the application for the lead researcher has been approved.

Step 2: Application review

CASD will review your application to determine if your research program is eligible for Meta Content Library access. This process can take 2 to 3 weeks. You can track your application status in Research Tools Manager.

Step 3: Application in process

Meta’s processing typically takes 2 to 3 weeks after the application review.

Step 4: Gain access

If approved, you will receive an email notification with access details. You can also see your access status directly in Research Tools Manager. If you are a lead researcher, you can invite collaborators in the dashboard as well.

Frequently asked questions about access, eligibility, and publication

Are global applicants eligible for access to Content Library and API?

We welcome global users, but access to or use of our tools and data must comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. In addition, the researcher applicant, and any organization or institution with which the applicant is affiliated, must not be in a jurisdiction that is the target of sanctions imposed by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union or United Nations.

Is payment required to access Meta Content Library and API on Meta Secure Research Environment?

No. There are no fees associated with access or computation to Meta Content Library web-based interface or the API on the Meta Secure Research Environment.

What if my research agenda changes? Is a new application required?

If your research program substantially changes after having an application approved, or you have a new research program you’d like to use for Meta Content Library, the lead researcher must submit a new application in Research Tools Manager.

What if I change institutions? Is a new application required?

If you are a lead researcher and will need continued access to Meta Content Library, you will need to submit a new application and notify Meta via metaresearchapplications@meta.com of the institutional change.

If you are a collaborator and need continued access to Meta Content Library, your lead researcher will need to invite you to the approved research program with your new organizational email address. You will need to submit a new application and notify Meta via metaresearchapplications@meta.com.

How does the application and access process work for users who collaborate together or are part of a larger research team?

To be added as a collaborator to a research program, the lead researcher of the research program must send an invitation to you to join the research program through Research Tools Manager. After you receive the invitation, you will be redirected to submit your application.

Does Meta place any restrictions on how I can publish with data from the Meta Content Library and API?

Research outputs (such as tables, graphs, and analysis) may be published but are subject to obligations and restrictions set forth in the Meta Research Tools Terms and Conditions. For publications based solely on Meta Content Library and/or API, Meta will not ask to review research manuscripts prior to publication. However, we ask that the Meta attribution guidelines (see Citations) are followed and that notice is provided upon publishing.

Learn more

• Meta Content Library application guide
• Secure Data Access Center (CASD)