Amid reports that Facebook was distributing an app that gathers personal data from users in exchange for $20 per month, Apple has reportedly blocked all Facebook internal apps from launching on iOS devices. This means that early releases of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, etc in addition to the company’s employee apps are no longer working on iOS devices.
The Verge reports that these apps are simply no longer launching on Facebook employees’ phones anymore. The company is reportedly treating it as a critical problem. Apple has seemingly made this decision following reports that Facebook was using Apple’s internal app distribution program to track users through a “research” app.
Facebook distributed the controversial app using Apple’s enterprise program which allows developers to send out copies of their app outside the App Store. This is meant for distributing apps to a company’s employees, Facebook started using it to send apps to customers. It later promised to shut down the app.
Apple said in a statement that Facebook is in “clear breach of their agreement with Apple.” Companies that are in violation have their distribution certificates revoked “which is what we did in this case to protect our users and their data.”
Facebook has not yet commented on the matter publically.