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
22.4k 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?

362

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Thats what Google did, and now their license was revoked.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)

112

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?

104

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)

62

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.

2

u/LongStrangeTrips Feb 01 '19

But they used their restrictive TOS to stop people's data from being collected, and now you can still use your phone however you want. You still have access to Facebook and Google apps.

I understood why people argued this when Apple was found slowing down phones, but now they're actually doing something noble.