Apple Revokes Facebook Developer Certificate Over Spyware Research App
Apple takes decisive action by revoking Facebook's Enterprise Certificate, effectively disabling the social giant's data-collecting Research app and internal employee tools.
Apple blocks Facebook’s Research VPN app and revokes the social network's Enterprise Certificate after a TechCrunch investigation exposes severe privacy violations. The Research app offers users $20 per month in exchange for root network access, allowing Facebook to monitor all web browsing activity, app usage, and even decrypt encrypted traffic. By taking this action, Apple not only disables the controversial app but also breaks all of Facebook’s internal employee apps used for workplace collaboration and logistics.
Facebook operates this program under the name Project Atlas, targeting users aged 13 to 35 through ads on Instagram and Snapchat. The app collects massive amounts of personal data, including encrypted web traffic and Amazon order history screenshots, so Facebook can track competitors and plan its product roadmap. This data collection directly mirrors the tactics of Facebook's Onavo Protect app, which Apple forced the company to remove in August 2018 after changing its privacy policies.
The tech giant knowingly bypasses the spirit of Apple's 2018 privacy rules by distributing the Research app through the Enterprise Certificate program, a system strictly intended for internal corporate apps. Although Facebook claims it voluntarily shuts down the iOS version of the Research program, Apple's revocation of the certificate reveals that the shutdown is actually forced. This bold move by Apple demonstrates a strict enforcement of its privacy guidelines against unauthorized external data harvesting.