[cnet] Google's data-gathering app may have also violated Apple's policies

LexRank Summarization

• "This was a mistake, and we apologize." The search giant's decision to close the app comes a day after Facebook landed in hot water for creating a similar app that gave users between the ages of 13 and 35 payments of $20 a month in exchange for their phone and web activity.


• Previously, Apple said that Facebook's app violated its policies by using membership in Apple's Enterprise Developer Program "to distribute a data-collecting app to consumers, which is a clear breach of their agreement with Apple." The iPhone maker added that it would revoke the enterprise certificates, which are issued so that developers can test apps, if they are used to distribute apps to consumers.


• "We've been upfront with users about the way we use their data in this app, we have no access to encrypted data in apps and on devices, and users can opt out of the program at any time." Still, the blowback for both companies raises questions about how much consumers really understand about the information they are giving up, and whether the companies' approach to seeking permission is sufficient.

TextRank Summarization

• Google, like Facebook, may have violated Apple's policies with an app that collects user data.


• The search giant's Screenwise Meter app, launched in 2012, invited users aged 18 and older to earn gift cards in exchange for letting Google to monitor and analyze their data.


• The company sidestepped the App Store and took advantage of a program the iPhone maker had designed for companies to internally distribute apps, according to a Wednesday report by TechCrunch.

Ref: https://www.cnet.com/news/googles-data-gathering-app-may-have-also-violated-apples-policies/#ftag=CAD590a51e