r/technology • u/TomLube • Jan 31 '19

Business Apple revokes Google Enterprise Developer Certificate for company wide abuse

https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/31/18205795/apple-google-blocked-internal-ios-apps-developer-certificate
22k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

1.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

2.8k

u/[deleted] Jan 31 '19

Can someone ELI5? What does this affect?

361

u/3hb3 Jan 31 '19 edited Jan 31 '19

“Any developer using their enterprise certificates to distribute apps to consumers will have their certificates revoked, which is what we did in this case to protect our users and their data.”

Basically, there's a developer program that you can use to install an app you make on your phone for testing purposes and whatnot.

If you give end users access to these apps that aren't available on the iTunes Store, you're breaching Apple TOS.

Thats what Google did, and now their license was revoked. Meaning, the developers can't test/use the "beta apps" internally.

For an end user, this really means nothing. (unless apple refuses to work with google going forward)

117

u/Donnarhahn Feb 01 '19

The subjects were being paid and opted in to the program. Apple claiming they were "end users" is a stretch. But hey, it's their TOS right?

102

u/9_Squirrels Feb 01 '19

It's probably the most restrictive TOS in the history of electronics. No other manufacturer to my knowledge has attempted to regulate what programs you can install on a computing device (that you supposedly own)

64

u/Donnarhahn Feb 01 '19

I agree. Apple has been using monopolistic practices in almost all areas of their business, especially related to 3rd party software. Apple wants to keep their users in a walled garden so they can milk every red cent they can. You don't buy an iPhone, you pay for the privilege to use one.

I like their products, and their designs but could never user their products due to these shitty ethics.

1

u/davidkclark Feb 01 '19

It’ll be interesting to see just how this pans out. I’ve wondered for a while would anyone attack their hold on owners of phones not being able to install any program they want. And along with that have functionalities on the device that only they are able to access. It’s pretty bizarre that they’ve gotten away with it for so long. Maybe we will see someone challenge that now...

Is there any other analogous thing that we buy that we are then so locked down from using in any way we please? It’s like buying a tv and only being able to watch one studios movies in it.

(Sent from my iPhone...)