Late last month, web IM platform Meebo announced that they had launched integration with Facebook Chat and MySpace Chat directly into the Meebo service. However, because Facebook has yet to announce APIs for its chat service, Meebo engineered its own “connect”-ion with Facebook’s servers using the Pidgin plugin.

However, in a blog post today, Meebo CEO Seth Sternberg announced that Meebo is turning off its Facebook Chat integration at Facebook’s request until Facebook readies its Chat and Connect APIs for security reasons. Sternberg wrote:

We have been speaking to the Facebook team, and it turns out, they’d like us to connect to their network in a different way – a way that works with their log-in security protocols. In the interim, they asked us take Facebook off Meebo, and we agree with them.

However, we were glad to hear that the Facebook team was genuinely excited to see their network on Meebo, especially since they already have plans to open Facebook Chat. They also committed resources from their Chat and Facebook Connect teams to do extra work with us to get Facebook Chat back on Meebo “really, really soon.”

Work began this week, so stay tuned. We expect some all nighters on both sides!

Other downloadable IM clients have launched Facebook Chat integration in the past, including Digsby, Adium, and Social.IM. However, those services continue to operate today, presumably because they pose less security risk.