Apple confirmed Onavo, a security app owned by Facebook, will no longer be available in its App Store, according to CNBC.
Facebook acquired Israeli security app developer Onavo in 2013. Since then, Facebook has continued to offer the app to give users access to a virtual private network, or VPN, to browse the internet with more privacy.
In June, Facebook told Congress it doesn't use data from the app "for Facebook product uses," but said it uses Onavo to gather general information about which apps are popular to improve its own products.
In a statement to CNBC, Facebook said it is transparent with the app's users.
"We've always been clear when people download Onavo about the information that is collected and how it is used," the company said. "As a developer on Apple's platform, we follow the rules they've put in place."
However, Apple officials told Facebook in mid-August that Onavo does not comply with the company's rules on data collection by developers, a person familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. At the time, Apple officials reportedly suggested to Facebook that the company voluntarily remove Onavo from the App Store.
"We work hard to protect user privacy and data security throughout the Apple ecosystem," an Apple spokesperson told CNBC. "With the latest update to our guidelines, we made it explicitly clear that apps should not collect information about which other apps are installed on a user's device for the purposes of analytics or advertising/marketing and must make it clear what user data will be collected and how it will be used."