App stores like Google Play serve two different customer groups, with interests all their own. Smartphone users are mostly concerned about stores detecting malicious apps, and keeping their devices safe, while developers want exposure for their software, and protection for their IP. When one app starts accessing another's services in an unauthorized way, though, we're almost certainly headed for conflict, as we saw earlier this year with the shutdown of YouTube Vanced. This week we're learning about the latest app to get in that kind of trouble, as the Google Play Store boots an app that was offering a customizable, ad-free, suggestion-free-feed alternative to Instagram.
Called "The OG App," this unofficial IG client launched late in September with the aim of helping users relive the good old days when Instagram wasn’t besieged by an attention-hungry algorithm, Reels, NFTs, and annoying ads. App developers Ansh Nanda and Hardik Patil (under the Un1feed label) dissected Instagram’s API to implement the nostalgic yet customizable experience. Users could curate different feeds, set up defaults, prevent feeds from refreshing for 24 hours, and turn off read receipts for DMs.
But as TechCrunch shares, the project opened up a can of worms with its workarounds for accessing the service, endangering user data. A few users on Twitter say Instagram alerted them to suspicious logins after they trusted The OG App with their credentials. The developers attempted to explain away the warnings as a consequence of how they dealt with 2FA, but plenty of users seem appropriately concerned at how this was being handled.
The big pushback started, though, when Apple booted the app off the App Store late last month. Meta is also reportedly taking action against the developers for violating its policies. In its removal message to the devs, Apple explained The OG App’s violation of Instagram’s terms of use meant it also broke App Store rules.
With Google now following Apple's lead, the developers put out a tweet saying they won’t be able to continue serving users for now. The app can still be sideloaded on Android phones, but we don’t think the benefits outweigh the risk to your security.
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