The other day we reported that Facebook has been working on a secret development called Project Spartan, which is apparently an HTML5 web app platform to rival Apple’s App Store, and now word has come that apparently Apple not only knows about Project Spartan, but has also supported the project.

According to an article over on Apple Insider, in a rather lengthy article MG Siegler of Tech Crunch says that Apple has knowledge of the Facebook project and has lent some “minor support” to its development.

Apparently according to “people familiar with the matter” Apple isn’t in fear of Project Spartan, and after seeing a few of the Spartan apps, Siegler suggest that the likelihood of iOS users opting for Spartan apps over native iPhone apps is “laughable.”

According to Seigler, Apple doesn’t know the full scope of Facebook Project Spartan and says, “Apple may not view Spartan as a threat at all right now – and in fact, it sort of helps them because it is moving popular games, like the ones by Zynga, off of Flash and onto HTML5 – but down the road, that is absolutely what Facebook intends it to be.”

Naturally Facebook PR are apparently trying to play down word of Project Spartan getting out, but as Apple doesn’t seem to be that worried why not just come clean?