Cupertino-based tech company Apple has taken strict action against the social networking giant Facebook over the recently pulled VPN app that was paying teenagers to take all the data from their phones. The internal iOS apps of Facebook no longer work after Apple has revoked the certifications that are needed to install the apps on employee’s iPhones. Services like early builds of Facebook, Instagram and Messenger will not open.
Even some of the simpler tools like a lunch menu are currently broken. This is the first time Apple has taken such strict action against the social networking giant due to its privacy practices. The company has been dealing with Facebook in terms of its Privacy rights over the last year and it was discovered on January 30, 2019, that the social network had taken advantage of its developer certificates to distribute a research app outside of the app store. The app that was in question had violated the privacy policies of Apple.
With the new move taken by Apple, in terms of its developer certificates, the Cupertino-based company has limited the social giant’s ability to test and create new apps. The employees of Facebook have a number of special versions of apps that include a new code as well as features that are not available in the public. The company can now no longer launch those apps while putting its product development at risk. A company spokesperson while talking to a leading daily said, “We designed our Enterprise Developer Program solely for the internal distribution of apps within an organization. Facebook has been using their membership to distribute a data-collecting app to consumers, which is a clear breach of their agreement with Apple”.
Facebook is at present trying its best to negotiate with Apple to get its employee-only apps back up and running. Some of the experts have speculated that Apple might even remove Facebook’s Apps from iOS completely due to the violation.
Photo Credits: Geeky Gadgets
