Facebook - "Cannot query users by their username" solution

Question

I am developing an android app. I was using a HttpURLConnection to get profile pictures of facebook users. The URL looks like this:

http://graph.facebook.com/?ids=username1,username2,username3&fields=picture&type=square

But now, since v2.2 doesn't let me to get profile pictures of users who are not using my facebook app, it throws an error:

{ "error": { "message": "(#803) Cannot query users by their username (username1)", "type": "OAuthException", "code": 803 } }

I am not interested in using "Facebook SDK for Android". Let's say I use a pop-up webview to authorize my facebook app. What url would let me do the same thing? Is there a simple solution like this:

graph.facebook.com/?app=APP-ID&ids=username1,username2&fields=picture

Rakel

Answer 1

Since v2.0 of the API, you are not supposed to use usernames at all - and that´s why you can´t query users by their username anymore. The only way to get access to data of a user is by authorizing that user and using the /me endpoint.

Main rule: Forget about users who did not authorize your App, you are not supposed to get any data of those for privacy reason.

Cohleen

they scrape the profile, which is not allowed on facebook. don´t do that. – Cohleen