On August 27, Meta Spark announced its intention to wind down its augmented reality (AR) effects tools. And creators aren’t happy.
From January 14, 2025, onwards, AR effects made by creators and third parties will no longer be available for use. However, Meta did note that AR effects owned by Meta would continue to be available on its apps.
“This decision is part of our larger efforts to prioritize the products we believe will best serve the future needs of our consumers and business customers alike,” the tech giant added in the website post. “We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible.”
Creators react to Meta Spark shutdown
In the Meta Spark Facebook group, creators shared their anger at the situation. One commenter dubbed it “really heartbreaking and devastating,” while another said they were “really disheartened” by the news.
Meanwhile, AR creator Lita Heifetz told Business Insider that half of the AR filters in her portfolio were made with Meta Spark.
Furthermore, in a longer, more detailed post directed at Meta, creator Douglas Costa noted how “over the past few years, we creators have invested money, knowledge, advertising, and an entire infrastructure to make [AR] our livelihood.”
“You can’t just abruptly end support for filters in such a simple and easy way,” he added. “It’s a huge disrespect to us and also to the Facebook/Instagram users, most of whom continue using the platform because of these effects.”
