Earlier this week, a new third-party Instagram app dubbed “OG App” launched on the App Store. This app offered an ad-free Instagram experience, among other improvements. Just a day after its launch, however, Apple removed OG App from the App Store, and we now have more details on the reasoning behind this removal.
Apple explained to 9to5Mac on Thursday morning that it was forced to remove OG App from the App Store because it used Instagram’s API in a way that was not allowed per Meta’s terms of service.
Apple said that it discovered OG App was using Instagram’s service in an unauthorized manner, which is a violation of App Store Review Guidelines as well as Instagram’s terms of use. Apple also pointed out that this could have exposed Instagram users’ accounts to privacy and security vulnerabilities.
Apple specifically pointed us to the App Store Review Guideline 5.2.2, which says the following:
Make sure your app only includes content that you created or that you have a license to use. Your app may be removed if you’ve stepped over the line and used content without permission.
If your app uses, accesses, monetizes access to, or displays content from a third-party service, ensure that you are specifically permitted to do so under the service’s terms of use. Authorization must be provided upon request.
Meta also publicly called out the OG App, again saying that the app violates its “policies” and that it would be “taking all appropriate enforcement action.”
As such, the OG App was removed from the App Store and is no longer available for download. If you’ve already downloaded the app, it will also stop working as Meta cuts off the app’s access to its Instagram API.
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