I'm not sure Apple can win this game of chicken. People are hooked on Facebook and Google more than they are iPhones.
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Apple Shuts Down All of Google's Internal Apps for Abusing Enterprise Certificate [Updated]
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Google can most likely still update them, because they should have a separate account for enterprise use and external use. Only the enterprise-use account got disabled/revoked.
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This does not affect the App Store releases; this only affects internal operations at Google and Facebook.
Facebook and Google were in clear violation so Apple is in the complete right to do this.
However all this virtue signaling about Apple standing up for privacy at least as it relates to Google's app, is misplaced. Google was pretty transparent to the end user about their data collection. It was completely unprofessional of Google to use enterprise certificates to do this especially as they has an agreement with Apple, but this is unfortunately still in the Silicon Valley culture. (See how Uber evaded authorities in cities where it was limited).
Apple cares about privacy of course, and in this case it was also a matter of making sure companies comply with the agreements they make with Apple.
Facebook and Google will not be able to collect user information anymore, at least not this way.
However all this virtue signaling about Apple standing up for privacy at least as it relates to Google's app, is misplaced. Google was pretty transparent to the end user about their data collection. It was completely unprofessional of Google to use enterprise certificates to do this especially as they has an agreement with Apple, but this is unfortunately still in the Silicon Valley culture. (See how Uber evaded authorities in cities where it was limited).
Apple cares about privacy of course, and in this case it was also a matter of making sure companies comply with the agreements they make with Apple.
Facebook and Google will not be able to collect user information anymore, at least not this way.
Conspiracy theory: Apple screws with Google and Facebook, two companies whose main source of revenue is selling user data. Google and Facebook start struggling. They're forced to start charging for stuff - perhaps, services Apple charges for now. Result: Apple knocked competition down, taking away an advantage they had (free services), and the excuse of protecting privacy seals up their justification.
Apple has an advantage in that they tend to attract people who are more willing to spend money. That's the tradeoff - if you stopped Google from data collection, most free Google services would stop being free.
Let it be said here: I am a lot less concerned about data mining than most people seem to be. I'm not saying I am not at all concerned. But I don't freak out because Google Maps tracks my location and sends me a fun little month-in-review Email. I also know the tradeoff - if I don't want to be tracked, I pay for an ad-free version of something, for example.
Most of the people I know personally who are super strong privacy advocates are those who have in some way screwed up on their own and had some information leak, and then blame that experience on the big companies. "But if Google wasn't recording my location, my girlfriend wouldn't have been able to unlock my phone with her face (which I let her program in), use my Google account password (which I gave her), and authenticate against 2FA using her own phone (which I set up as a trusted device), and then see that I was at a strip club!" (Hint: Don't go to strip clubs if it's going to get you in trouble, and don't give someone else that much access to your data. Sorry, privacy isn't an excuse for s..tty behavior.)
Apple has an advantage in that they tend to attract people who are more willing to spend money. That's the tradeoff - if you stopped Google from data collection, most free Google services would stop being free.
Let it be said here: I am a lot less concerned about data mining than most people seem to be. I'm not saying I am not at all concerned. But I don't freak out because Google Maps tracks my location and sends me a fun little month-in-review Email. I also know the tradeoff - if I don't want to be tracked, I pay for an ad-free version of something, for example.
Most of the people I know personally who are super strong privacy advocates are those who have in some way screwed up on their own and had some information leak, and then blame that experience on the big companies. "But if Google wasn't recording my location, my girlfriend wouldn't have been able to unlock my phone with her face (which I let her program in), use my Google account password (which I gave her), and authenticate against 2FA using her own phone (which I set up as a trusted device), and then see that I was at a strip club!" (Hint: Don't go to strip clubs if it's going to get you in trouble, and don't give someone else that much access to your data. Sorry, privacy isn't an excuse for s..tty behavior.)
I already don’t use Facebook, and I will excise my phone of all google influences if push comes to shove. This is precisely what I pay Apple to do, and these companies will have to learn to play by Apple’s rules of not play at all.
Just an FYI. This not the reason Apple is revoking their developer certificates. These certs are supposed to only be used internally for employees. Both Google and Facebook circumvented the AppStore by giving users outside respective companies access to these apps. So said users could install apps not released on the AppStore.
Ok, so what’s the difference between Google and Facebook data mining and all the endless endless freemium apps on the App Store that data mine the hell out of everyone? Or is it the 30% cut Apple makes on those in app sales..??
As per my favourite link I post, from this sites sister site:
http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/
It’s why I laugh at Apple’s sheer hypocrisy when it spouts ‘data protection’..
As per my favourite link I post, from this sites sister site:
http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/
It’s why I laugh at Apple’s sheer hypocrisy when it spouts ‘data protection’..
This isn't a game of chicken. This is Apple telling Google and Facebook, and everyone else by example, to stop abusing their enterprise certificates to bypass privacy rules.
Convenient timing!
Who else thinks this is PR STUNT from Apple to distract from the FaceTime group security issue?
Who else thinks this is PR STUNT from Apple to distract from the FaceTime group security issue?
Do you know what happens if they don't reinstate? All Google and Facebook employees will be forced to use Android. No one will quit their job bc their work phone isn't an iPhone.
Apple is about money- they will reinstate.
I'm more comcercon about Apple lack of security in their own apps... like FT.
Absolutely!! Rather convenient eh, and where’s the fix? I mean it can’t have been that hard to fix right? With all the apparent endless testing they don.., er I mean do with iOS..
It's a bit more nuanced than this, but I agree in general Apple has the ability to manage their app developers' terms of service
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Watch Google disable GMail clients connected via iPhone.
Apple can't go to customers and be like "hey, remember how you spent $1000 on your iPhone? Guess what, it can't use your gmail account you have had since 2008". That would be really, really bad.
... while FB and Google tracked these users, and even paid them for doing so, which was the whole point of the controversy.
Add to that, that e.g. youngsters were lured in to applying for those apps by offering them to get paid a monthly fee for using the apps. ‘All’ they needed to do was read and agree on a privacy disclaimer, install a software certificate that should only be used by corporate employees, and off it went: the setup was simply disgusting.
It basically was a double violation: a contractual and an ethical. The ethical being the trigger for Apple to retaliate by claiming contract breach.
Apple is more keen on putting a spot light on these ethical practices, rather than on the legal issue at hand... I think.
This has nothing to do with data mining. This is about Facebook and Google letting consumers use apps on a platform that is designed for internal use only. I feel like the people writing these articles are doing a huge disservice by not explaining the issue correctly.
To be fair, Apple has facilitated a number of these unethical practices for some time. The fact that they changed their mind now is great but does not suddenly make them a beacon of ethical practices. Privacy and data protection are a marketing tool for Apple.
It’s pathetic, if we would know more than the stuff that comes floating up to the surface, we’d be needing paper bags to vomit in.
People! Do not throw away the bag after eating you pop corn!! Turbulence might take its toll!
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Indeed, what is that for a statement??