Apple is one of the tech giants, and it is not pleased with how its comrade 'frenemies' are benefiting from it.
The iPhone maker has been long-known for its privacy. After Facebook was found violating its policy with Onavo, and then with the Facebook Research app, the Cupertino-based company found that Google is also violating its rules.
One day after banning Facebook's app, it was also revealed that Apple is blocking Google's developer certificate due to its 'Screenwise Meter' app.
Google was using an Apple-issued certificate that allowed the company to create and build internal apps for its employees for its consumer-facing apps. The certificate only allows in internal testing, and supposed to be used for research, with limited distribution to only 10,000 people.
But here, Google used this special certificate to bypass Apple’s App Store, making users sideload this app, so the company can gather their internet activities. This is clearly a violation to Apple’s rules.
As a result, Apple blocked Google's developer certificate, effectively restricting Google’s ability to test its iOS apps internally.
As a consequence, internal and early versions of Google Maps, Hangouts, Gmail and other pre-release beta apps on iOS stopped working.
The Screenwise Meter app was originally launched in 2012, and had a similar installation process to the Facebook Research app that has been banned from Apple's App Store.
What it did, was inviting adults and teen aged 18 and above (or 13 and above in a family group), to sideload install the app and the enterprise trust certificate in order for them to earn gift cards. But in return, the Enterprise Certificate-based VPN app allowed Google to monitor and analyze their traffic and data.
After it was found violating Apple's policy, Google quickly apologized and shuttered the iOS app:
When Apple banned Facebook's enterprise certificate for violating its privacy policy, the social media giant couldn't test its beta versions of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other internal apps for iOS.
The difference between Facebook Research app and Google's Screenwise Meter app is that, Google's program was more upfront, as it detailed about how it collected data.
But still, Apple has a strict policy, and such user-data gathering attempt is a violation.
Apple did warn that "any developer using their enterprise certificates to distribute apps to consumers will have their certificates revoked." And this rule applies to all, including frenemies of equal size like Facebook and Google.
Companies that rely extensively on users’ data for their business, are urged to re-evaluate their apps and services. In an era where privacy rules are stringent, the rules of yesteryear don't apply anymore.
Later, Apple restored both Google's and Facebook's developer certificate.
A Google spokesperson confirmed this by saying that "our internal corporate apps have been restored.”
“We’re working with Apple to fix a temporary disruption to some of our corporate iOS apps, which we expect will be resolved soon,” the spokesperson continued.
A spokesperson for Apple said: “We are working together with Google to help them reinstate their enterprise certificates very quickly.”