Google admits to violating iOS development policy, Apple may revoke its enterprise development certificate

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Google acknowledged on Wednesday that one of its apps violated Apple's iOS development policies, just like Facebook.

TechCrunch, a technology blog, previously reported that Facebook has been paying users to install an app to collect data on how they use their smartphones. The report said that since 2016, Facebook has paid users aged 13 to 35 $20 per month to participate in its research program. These users need to download the "FacebookResearch" app on iOS or Android, and the app may collect user data, including private messages, sent photos, web search records and location information.

In response, Facebook explained that "key facts about this market research program are being ignored. There is nothing secret about the project, it is actually called Facebook Research. This is not "surveillance" because all those who sign up are informed of the clear joining process and require their explicit permission to participate. In fact, less than 5% of those who choose to participate in this market research program are teenagers, and the parents of all these teenagers have signed consent forms."

But shortly afterwards, Apple revoked Facebook's enterprise development certificate.

The so-called "enterprise development certificate" allows a company's users to install or use applications directly without having to go through the App Store, which is strictly controlled by Apple. However, Apple stipulates that these applications can only be used by internal employees of the company, but Facebook distributes this data-collecting application to people who are not employed by Facebook.

Google is also reportedly distributing its Screenwise Meter app in the same way, which collects everything participants do on their phones and comes with monetary rewards. This means that Apple may also revoke Google's enterprise development certificate, which will directly prevent the company's employees from using certain internal apps, such as the beta version of iOS Google apps.

In response, Google said it had disabled Screenwise Meter on the iOS platform and admitted that Screenwise Meter should not be released under the enterprise developer certificate.

"The Screenwise Meter iOS app should not have run under Apple's Developer Enterprise Program. This was a mistake and we apologize for it. We have now disabled this app on iOS devices and it was completely voluntary. We informed users in advance how their personal data within the app would be used, we did not have access to encrypted data in the app and on devices, and users could opt out at any time," Google wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

Apple has not yet commented on whether it plans to revoke Google's enterprise development certificate.