Slashdot Mirror
Apple Says It's Banning Facebook's Research App That Collects Users' Personal Information (recode.net)
Facebook is at the center of another privacy scandal -- and this time it hasn't just angered users. It has also angered Apple. From a report: The short version: Apple says Facebook broke an agreement it made with Apple by publishing a "research" app for iPhone users that allowed the social giant to collect all kinds of personal data about those users, TechCrunch reported Tuesday. The app allowed Facebook to track users' app history, their private messages and their location data. Facebook's research effort reportedly targeted users as young as 13 years old.
As of last summer, apps that collect that kind of data are against Apple's privacy guidelines. That means Facebook couldn't make this research app available through the App Store, which would have required Apple approval. Instead, Facebook apparently took advantage of Apple's "Developer Enterprise Program," which lets approved Apple partners, like Facebook, test and distribute apps specifically for their own employees. In those cases, the employees can use third-party services to download beta versions of apps that aren't available to the general public. Update: The Verge reports: Apple has shut down Facebook's ability to distribute internal iOS apps, from early releases of the Facebook app to basic tools like a lunch menu. A person familiar with the situation tells The Verge that early versions of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and other pre-release "dogfood" (beta) apps have stopped working, as have other employee apps, like one for transportation. Facebook is treating this as a critical problem internally, we're told, as the affected apps simply don't launch on employees' phones anymore. Update 2: Apple says it shut down Facebook's app before the social company could voluntarily shut it down -- contrary to an earlier statement by Facebook, in which it said it was shutting down the app.
As of last summer, apps that collect that kind of data are against Apple's privacy guidelines. That means Facebook couldn't make this research app available through the App Store, which would have required Apple approval. Instead, Facebook apparently took advantage of Apple's "Developer Enterprise Program," which lets approved Apple partners, like Facebook, test and distribute apps specifically for their own employees. In those cases, the employees can use third-party services to download beta versions of apps that aren't available to the general public. Update: The Verge reports: Apple has shut down Facebook's ability to distribute internal iOS apps, from early releases of the Facebook app to basic tools like a lunch menu. A person familiar with the situation tells The Verge that early versions of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and other pre-release "dogfood" (beta) apps have stopped working, as have other employee apps, like one for transportation. Facebook is treating this as a critical problem internally, we're told, as the affected apps simply don't launch on employees' phones anymore. Update 2: Apple says it shut down Facebook's app before the social company could voluntarily shut it down -- contrary to an earlier statement by Facebook, in which it said it was shutting down the app.
I'm pretty sure this violates wiretapping laws in multiple states. So many people have no clue their supposedly private conversations were being monitored and recorded.
Anything associated with Facebook should be banned. Facebook is a company not interested in protecting their users they only want to exploit them for monetary gain.
I am going say Bad Apple on this one. As I stated on the other article I am not sure that this app really could do a lot of the things that are being claimed. Terrible for privacy sure, but apps implementing ATS and other best practices should still have been secure.
So now we have Apple essentially ban hammering an application outside the app store. Think about that. If you have an enterprise, and your write an application, to run on devices you have purchased; Apple might still come along and disable it; if they don't like you or it!
This isn't really good for users, this is really anti-freedom/anti-ownership type action here. Just because it might protect a few dolts from malicious actors like facebook, does not automatically make it good.
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
How dare facebook collect and sell that info. Thats apples job.
... the worse Facebook looks.
Time to vote this piece of shit out.
For something this extreme, Apple should have pulled Facebook's development certificates for Facebook as a whole. Leave WhatsApp and Instagram, but Apple should have immediately revoked Facebook and pulled the
You're not using Facebook, you work for Facebook. Spread that message to others, please.
Politics; n. : A religion whereby man is god.
Maybe the powers that be will finally take notice and start regulating privacy and big data. But more than likely, nothing will become of this. At least Apple slapped down Facebook like a mosquito.
Mod clearly didn't understand what Facebook meant. It's stated quite clearly on page 393, sub PH69.1337. Facebook reserves the right to your network, your friends networks, your employer, your child and her teddy bear. Look for the reference to Pediatric Enrichment Developer Operator file (which you must also follow).
...that collects user's data and sells it to third parties?
It's called Facebook.
How about banning the apps which use Facebook services without the knowledge of the user?
Trump WILL be reelected in 2020.
Wait, so you're arguing that it's okay and legal for Apple to control not just the app store, but to censor any app, at all, that it finds offensive. The Apple T&C allow apple to ban anything that might be considered politically incorrect. Read them.
Facebook is a slimy shitshow, but it's no different than Apple.
Apple's terms expressly allow certain use of their Enterprise certificates by developers, everything else not stated in the T&Cs is forbidden. Facebook broke the conditions set out in the T&Cs by distributing the app outside of its employees (not covered by any of the exceptions).
Apple have every right to revoke the app and would be within their rights to terminate the developer full stop (but obviously that won't happen in this case).
The app was deliberately used to grossly violate user's rights. Seems to me that, if Apple does NOT terminate Facebook's license, and Facebook does it again, this could be used to argue that Apple is both civilly (user suits) and criminally (aiding and abetting violation of any of a number of anti-cracking laws) liable.
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
This seems like the first time any entity has done anything of significance to try to hold Facebook accountable. Only when Facebook faces consequences for all their bad actions will they start behaving. If only someone could force Mark Zuckerberg to step down, go to prison, etc.
Don Trump? Head of the Trump crime family?
What's he gonna do, wage a campaign from his jail cell? What for, Tightest Asshole in Cellblock C?
Or is he just going to be forthright about it, this time - Putin/Trump 2020 - Pretty Please, Vote for Me Again. I Depserately Don't Want to Suffer The Embarrassment of Being a One-Term President?
Facebook is treating this as a critical problem internally, we're told, as the affected apps simply don't launch on employees' phones anymore.
So forget the Facebook VPN scandal for a moment here. Apple can, at their whim, make an application not work on your device. That's dangerous. The economic damage one company could do by simply revoking a critical app could outstrip the impact of the 9/11 attacks.
We absolutely must not allow companies to wield this kind of power. Amazon should not be able to revoke e-book licenses, Apple and Microsoft and Google should not be able to revoke application licenses, etc. Imagine if they chose to do it to a competitor. Our reliability on the good will of these companies is so dangerous it makes everyone complaining about Trusted Computing back around 2000 look like prescient geniuses.
Apple has (thankfully) come down on the side of personal privacy and personal liberties. It might be what saves them. Without it, many of us would have gone to Android years ago. Thank you Apple. I'd even give up a headphone jack to maintain my privacy and security.
...Facebook wouldn't let Apple in on the data, then.
From time to time a cable channel will spar with a provider, think TBS vs TimeWarner or whatever. Each one thinks their customer base will forgo the other one. In this case, lets say that Apple went full nuclear on FB and just stopped their app entirely. "Dear Apple iPhone user, you have 30 days then FB app stops working" I really wonder what people would trade, their iPhone or FB.
I think FB is like cable TV, people waste an inordinate amount of time on it, think they are dependent, but just like when you 'cut the cord' for cable TV, after a few weeks you realize you miss almost nothing of the old way. I would love Apple to kill off FB just to let millions of people see that they can live without social media.
Wouldn't it be nice if Google did the same thing?
"Facebook is treating this as a critical problem internally, we're told, as the affected apps simply don't launch on employees' phones anymore."
If they were not repeat offenders against user privacy and Apple's store policies, they might not get treated like this.
But they are and they do.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled"
Reports are all Facebook internal iOS apps (and betas) are dead.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
...with loving, open, slightly yellow-green, arms filled with glorious technology goodness. Facebook could be the single greatest force to killing off iOS by simply removing the Facebook and related apps from iOS app store, thus forcing all the Facebook et al junkies over to Android. Hey, less software to maintain allows for greater focus.
Apple would 180 so fast, it would give Slashdot editors' eyeballs serious whiplash.
Facebook's "research app"? You mean Facebook?
If you don't have the freedom to decide what does and does not run on the computing device then you are not the owner of the device. That is not freedom. It's not Libre. What will Apple ban next from the device that you paid for?