Apple reverses the course and allows Parental Control applications to use MDM technology with stricter privacy requirements

In one of the many updates to its App Store Review Guidelines this week, Apple said that developers of parental control applications are again allowed to use MDM technology ( Mobile Device Management) in their applications, as long as they do not sell, use or disclose any data to third parties for any purpose whatsoever.

An excerpt from the new directive 5.5:

You must clearly indicate which user data will be collected and how it will be used on the screen of the application before any action by the user to purchase or use the service. MDM applications should not violate local laws. Apps offering MDM services may not sell, use or disclose to third parties any data for any purpose and must engage in their privacy policy. Applications that do not comply with this directive will be removed from the App Store and you could be from the Apple Developer Program.

This comes a little over a month after The New York Times reported that Apple had removed or restricted many of the most popular parental control and screen time control applications on the Internet. Application Store since launching its own Screen Time feature on iOS 12 last year, raising concerns about potentially anti-competitive behavior.

In response to the report, Apple said it discovered that some parental control apps were using MDM, putting children's privacy and safety at risk.

"These applications were using a business technology that allowed them to access the extremely sensitive personal data of children," said an Apple spokesperson in a statement addressed to: The New York Times Monday. "We do not believe it's O.K. for apps that enable data companies to track or optimize kids' advertising."

MDM technology is intended for enterprise users of device management belonging to their company. Apple explained that the use of MDM by consumer applications was a source of privacy and security concerns. Application Store Revision Guidelines in 2017.

Backlash was quickly set up by the developers of the Parental Control app, which eventually came together to ask Apple to "prioritize kids" by publishing a public API for Screen Time, aimed at developers. This has never been the case, since Apple has opted for this path and allows the use of MDM with stricter privacy requirements.

The updated Apple guidelines also state that parental control applications of "approved vendors" can use one of its personal VPN APIs.

Apple has been facing increasing scrutiny on its Application Store and potentially anti-competitive business practices, ranging from Spotify's complaint to several class actions. In response, Apple said that it "welcomes competition" on the App Store, which serves only to make it a "better" platform.