Last month, the tech giant, Apple, announced during the annual developer conference that small developers will finally be able to access Apple’s ‘Find My’ application. On the surface, Apple’s move to open up the Find My application seemed welcomed, but a new secret Apple document suggests that the announcement was not what it appeared. The Washington Post was able to obtain a 50-page PDF which reveals that the company placed strict restrictions on developers who want to use the application.
Apple devices come with the Find My application pre-installed on them, and the app displays the geographic location of family members with Apple iPhones as well as other Apple gadgets. Apple opened up the app so that competing companies could use it to allow consumers to locate devices that are not produced by Apple. Apple claims that competitors such as Tile will also be able to benefit from the Find My app.
However, the details of Apple’s announcement might tell you a different story. The details were kept secret by a confidentiality agreement, which Apple required all developers to sign. According to the secret document, Apple clients who use the app with a third-party service to locate a device will be barred from using other rival services at the same time.
According to developers, this move is unusual since users generally have the choice to use multiple applications to control the same device. For example, you can use a Bluetooth headset with the Apple Music streaming service as well as the Spotify streaming service. Alex Kirschner, Apple’s spokesman, stated that the resource could be beneficial for smaller companies that do not have resources to develop applications like Find My. The company has denied that Apple’s policies are anti-competitive, while Tile refused to comment on Apple’s announcement about opening up the Find My network to developers.
According to reports, when the company announced that developers would be able to access Find My, Apple uploaded the details so developers could download the details and start working to implement the feature in gadgets for the official rollout of the Find My network. But developers had to sign an additional agreement before doing so. Called the Limited License to Find My Network Accessory Spec, the document prevented developers from sharing the details of the new specification. This document threatened legal actions by the company against individual developers, claims a developer who downloaded the Limited License to Find My Network Accessory Spec document. The developer provided the details of Apple’s document on the condition of anonymity for fear of being sued by the tech giant. This is the reason why the revelation was made anonymously.
Read next: Apple is likely to introduce ‘vein recognition’ now in addition to its Facial ID feature
Apple devices come with the Find My application pre-installed on them, and the app displays the geographic location of family members with Apple iPhones as well as other Apple gadgets. Apple opened up the app so that competing companies could use it to allow consumers to locate devices that are not produced by Apple. Apple claims that competitors such as Tile will also be able to benefit from the Find My app.
However, the details of Apple’s announcement might tell you a different story. The details were kept secret by a confidentiality agreement, which Apple required all developers to sign. According to the secret document, Apple clients who use the app with a third-party service to locate a device will be barred from using other rival services at the same time.
According to developers, this move is unusual since users generally have the choice to use multiple applications to control the same device. For example, you can use a Bluetooth headset with the Apple Music streaming service as well as the Spotify streaming service. Alex Kirschner, Apple’s spokesman, stated that the resource could be beneficial for smaller companies that do not have resources to develop applications like Find My. The company has denied that Apple’s policies are anti-competitive, while Tile refused to comment on Apple’s announcement about opening up the Find My network to developers.
According to reports, when the company announced that developers would be able to access Find My, Apple uploaded the details so developers could download the details and start working to implement the feature in gadgets for the official rollout of the Find My network. But developers had to sign an additional agreement before doing so. Called the Limited License to Find My Network Accessory Spec, the document prevented developers from sharing the details of the new specification. This document threatened legal actions by the company against individual developers, claims a developer who downloaded the Limited License to Find My Network Accessory Spec document. The developer provided the details of Apple’s document on the condition of anonymity for fear of being sued by the tech giant. This is the reason why the revelation was made anonymously.
Read next: Apple is likely to introduce ‘vein recognition’ now in addition to its Facial ID feature
