Highlights
- Apple offers an “enterprise certificate” that helps some companies work on iPhone apps they are making
- Without this option, some of the companies’ most important development work is disrupted
- Apple is flexing its muscle as the operator of the most lucrative US app store to push its approach to user privacy
Apple Inc. temporarily pulled important app-development tools from Google after the iPhone maker decided the internet giant broke its rules, according to people familiar with the matter. Facebook’s app development was hobbled in a similar way for about 24 hours, a sign that Apple is flexing its muscle as the operator of the most lucrative US app store to push its approach to user privacy.
Employees at Alphabet’s Google couldn’t access test versions of iPhone apps they’re making, or use internal apps related to transportation scheduling and food, the people said. Security alerts were limited too, one of the people said. They asked not to be identified discussing private matters. Apple reinstated their access hours later on Thursday.
Apple offers an “enterprise certificate” that helps some companies work on iPhone apps without going through the usual app review process. Facebook and Google used this to collect data on user activity for internal research. When this was reported earlier this week by TechCrunch, both companies stopped the activity. Apple said Facebook had broken its rules and pulled the firm’s certificate until Thursday. It’s now punishing Google.
Google and Facebook rely on enterprise certificates to test the iPhone versions of the apps they’re making. Without this option, some of the companies’ most important development work is disrupted.
