Earlier this week, the Facebook Platform team released a new “Create Application API” that makes it easy for applications to programmatically generate API keys for “child” applications that users may want to generate on the fly. For example, fourth party service providers like Disqus could use the new feature to enable bloggers to generate a plugin with the Facebook Connect application settings already configured. Other services that might want to use the new API are white label application developers, like makers of templated quiz or virtual gifting applications, to more efficiently create new apps.

In addition, Facebook says it is also experimenting with giving users a new way to automatically hide all children of a parent application whenever they “Hide” any one child application in their News Feed. While Facebook hasn’t given very specific details on this test, a Facebook spokesperson did tell us:

The “hide” function [experiment] applies to a small percentage of new and existing applications. We’re experimenting with the feature so that users can hide some applications in aggregate, by hiding the parent application instead of just the template child application.

The “hiding” function can apply to apps created with the new API, or existing applications that weren’t created with the CreateApp API.

Facebook also says the experiments are only happening with applications “where there is a significant, demonstrated user demand for such a function.”

Ultimately, this means that Facebook could make it easier for users to block broad swaths of popular quiz, gift, or stats apps with one action, all in an effort to protect users’ views toward apps. We’ll let you know as we hear more about how these tests are going in the wild.