Facebook isn't the only company to have abused Apple's Enterprise Certificate system, as Google has admitted that it also violated the same policies with Facebook's "Research App. "
A TechCrunch report earlier revealed that Facebook shared a VPN app, which secretly collects data about how some users used their devices, for money ($20).
Facebook's app used Enterprise Certificates, which allow a company's users to install and use apps directly, without being evaluated against Apple's strict App Store policies.
Apple's rules state that such apps can only be used by employees of a company, but Facebook used this feature to its advantage to make its app available to consumers.
Similarly, Google admitted to distributing the “Screenwise Meter” app using the same credentials. Just like Facebook’s app, Google’s Screenwise Meter app also collected data about what users were doing on their phones, in exchange for a fee.
Therefore, Apple could also revoke Google's business license, which would prevent the company's employees from using certain internal apps, including trial versions of iPhone apps.
But Google has apologized for it, in a statement to TechCrunch:
“The Screenwise Meter iOS app should not have been allowed to run under Apple’s Enterprise Developer Program – this was a mistake and we apologize.”
Google has also disabled the app on iOS devices and claims it does not have access to encrypted data in apps or on devices. It also added that users can opt out of the program at any time.
Now, it's up to Apple whether it wants to punish Google for this policy violation or if its apology is enough to avoid the potential revocation of its Enterprise Certificate.
