Almost a week after Apple removed The OG App, an Instagram client that promised an ad-free and suggestion-free feed, from the App Store, Google followed suit and removed the app from the Play Store.
Co-founders of Un1feed, the company that published The OG App, stated on Twitter that the startup will be unable to serve its users as a result of the app’s removal from both the iOS and Android app stores.
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The app’s creators claimed that in the short time it was available, it received over 25,000 downloads on Google Play Store.
Our goal with OG was to give users a glimpse of this within the current paradigm.
— The OG App 🔗 (@TheOGapp_) October 7, 2022
Un1feed launched The OG App late last month, promising users a customizable Instagram experience. It did this by reverse-engineering Instagram for the Android API. However, this created a slew of issues that could jeopardize users’ privacy and security.
Following the app’s release, Instagram owner Meta stated that it violated the company’s policies and that it is “taking all appropriate enforcement actions.” However, it did not go into detail about the steps it took.
Around the same time, Apple removed the app from the App Store, claiming that it was unauthorizedly accessing Instagram’s service. The Cupertino-based tech behemoth also stated that The OG App violated App Store policies.
These that made it illegal for apps to display content from third-party apps by violating their terms of service.
The founders stated in a note posted on The OG App’s website that they are still considering the next steps and will provide more information in the coming weeks.
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After a string of security blunders, Meta has tightened its rules for access to user data and limited its APIs to show only a limited amount of information outside of its family of apps.
It’s not surprising that the company was quick to crack down on a solution that displayed content via unofficial APIs.
