Over the last few weeks Apple has removed a number of parental control apps from their app store and now the company has explained why this had been done.
According to Apple these apps were using MDM or Mobile Device Management to monitor peoples phones, this is not designed for consumer devices but enterprise device, Apple has said that this has raised privacy concerns.
Over the last year, we became aware that several of these parental control apps were using a highly invasive technology called Mobile Device Management, or MDM. MDM gives a third party control and access over a device and its most sensitive information including user location, app use, email accounts, camera permissions, and browsing history. We started exploring this use of MDM by non-enterprise developers back in early 2017 and updated our guidelines based on that work in mid-2017.
MDM does have legitimate uses. Businesses will sometimes install MDM on enterprise devices to keep better control over proprietary data and hardware. But it is incredibly risky—and a clear violation of App Store policies—for a private, consumer-focused app business to install MDM control over a customer’s device. Beyond the control that the app itself can exert over the user’s device, research has shown that MDM profiles could be used by hackers to gain access for malicious purposes.
Apple had come under criticism for removing the apps after it added its Screen Time feature to iOS, you can see the full stament from Apple over at their website at the link below.
Source Apple
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