Apple rejected over 1.9 million apps submitted to App Store in 2024
In its fifth annual App Store fraud analysis report, the tech giant also said it has stopped a total of $9 billion fraudulent transactions via the app marketplace over the last five years.
The report comes nearly a week after the return of Epic Games' Fortnite on the App Store, marking the potential end of a protracted legal battle between the iPhone-maker and the video game company.
Epic Games had accused Apple of violating antitrust law by taking a 30 per cent cut of in-app payment transactions and introducing anti-steering restrictions that prohibited developers from telling users that they can pay for services outside the App Store ecosystem.
Apple executives were on the verge of facing criminal contempt proceedings last month, after a US federal court said it had fallen short of complying with a previous injunction order dictating that the company must allow developers to direct users to external payment options.
In this context, Apple has continued to position its App Store as the safer and more secure payment processing system to discourage developers from using third-party payment processors.
'In-app purchase on the App Store offers users a secure and trusted environment designed to protect privacy, prevent fraud, and make managing purchases simple. With built-in tools to view, modify, or cancel subscriptions; purchase history; and support for refunds, users stay in control every step of the way,' Apple said in the fraud analysis report.
The company further said it blocked nearly 4.6 million attempts to 'sideload' or install apps from outside the App Store or third-party marketplaces approved by Apple.
Apple said it has taken comprehensive steps to tackle App Store threats ranging from deceptive apps designed to steal personal data of users to fraudulent payment schemes.
In 2024, Apple blocked nearly two million 'risky apps' submitted to the App Store, which sees an average of 813 million visitors every week. More than 146,000 App Store developer accounts were terminated last year. Additionally, Apple said it blocked over 10,000 illegitimate apps that acted as storefronts to access pornography apps, gambling apps, malware-loaded apps, and pirated versions of legitimate App Store apps.
As part of its crackdown on fake reviews on the App Store, Apple said it removed more than 143 million fraudulent ratings and reviews. It also took down over 7,400 apps from App Store charts and prevented nearly 9,500 deceptive apps from appearing in App Store search results.
The company further said it deactivated 129 million customer accounts that were spamming or manipulating ratings and reviews on the App Store.
Out of 7.7 million apps submitted and reviewed by Apple, over 1.9 million apps were rejected for failing to meet the company's standards regarding security and other aspects. Among the submitted apps that did not make it on the App Store, 37,000 were flagged for fraudulent activity, 17,000 for bait-and-switch maneuvers, and 400,000 for privacy violations.
App Store's app review process involves vetting by a human reviewer as well as usage of automated tools capable of detecting and taking action against potentially harmful apps.
'App Review rejects any potentially malicious apps it identifies during review, and the team's investigation into one fraudulent app often results in the takedown of several others linked to the same problematic developer,' the report read.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Fortnite developer claims win against Apple and Google
An Australian court has found Apple and Google misused their market power in a dispute with the maker of wildly popular video game Fortnite . Both Apple and Google kicked Fortnite off their respective app platforms in 2020, after the game designed an in-app payments system that cut the tech giants out of the loop. Developer Epic Games retaliated by launching legal action against the tech giants in a string of courtrooms around the world. Australia's Federal Court this week found the tech firms' app-store dominance reduced competition, likely forcing game developers to pay higher commission fees. "This is a WIN for developers and consumers in Australia!" Epic Games said in a statement Tuesday. Justice Jonathan Beach however rejected Epic Games' claims that Apple and Google engaged in unconscionable conduct. A Google spokesperson said the company disagreed with some of the court's findings and would "review the full decision when we receive it and assess our next steps". Australian lawyers have lodged a class action suit seeking compensation from Apple and Google on behalf of game users and developers. "The judgement is a turning point," said Kimi Nishimura from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers. "It sends a clear message that even the most powerful corporations must play by the rules and respect the rights of consumers and developers alike." Fortnite is one of the most popular video games in the world, laying claim to hundreds of millions of registered players.
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
AP's new liquor policy dents TG border sales
Mahabubnagar: Cross-border liquor sales hinge on excise policies in the respective states, quality, varieties available, and prices. Sudden shifts can upend sales on either side of the border. A 'case' in point in the Telugu states is Andhra Pradesh's newly revamped liquor policy, which has begun to make its presence felt in Telangana's border districts, with sales in several wine and liquor shops witnessing a steep decline—particularly in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district, which shares borders with Kurnool and Guntur districts of AP. Until recently, vends in the border areas of Alampur and Macherla were the go-to spots for customers from Andhra Pradesh. Shops here were bustling with heavy footfall, thanks to the stark difference in liquor policies between the two states. Under former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's government, liquor was sold exclusively through government-run outlets across the state. The choice of brands was limited, quality often questionable, and the prices hefty; driving many AP customers across the border to embrace sellers in Telangana, where most popular brands were readily available at relatively affordable prices. With the change in government, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has overhauled the old liquor policy, granting licences to over 3,000 private and retail vendors. Liquor is now sold openly across AP, with greater availability of choices and at lower prices than before; yet slightly, costlier than in Telangana. This shift has resulted in nearly a 50% drop in liquor sales in Telangana's border towns to customers from AP. Narender, a resident of Kurnool living in the Alampur border area, observed that while prices in AP have reduced under the new policy, quality concerns persist. 'Even though the new policy has been implemented, people in border areas still prefer liquor from Telangana. As per my estimate, sales here have dropped only by 3–5% because of AP customers switching over. Many are still crossing the border due to quality differences. In AP, some brands cost at least Rs 10 more than in Telangana, and people are not happy with what's available,' he told 'The Hans India'. Laxmikanth Reddy of Alampur recalled the bustling scene at the Pullur toll plaza, which was once thronged by customers from AP before 2024. 'Now, the crowds are gone. The new policy has cut sales in border shops by almost half. Only a small fraction—maybe 2–5%—of AP customers still come here, mainly for better quality,' he observed. For shop owners in Mahabubnagar's border areas, the change has been swift and sharp. What was once a lucrative market, fuelled largely by AP-origin customers, has now declined; with only loyal, quality-conscious buyers making the rounds. While Telangana still retains an edge in brand variety and perceived quality, Andhra Pradesh's more competitive pricing and increased accessibility are shifting the balance. If the trend continues, the once-bustling liquor hubs along the Telangana-AP border may have to rethink their strategies—or risk toasting to the end of an era in cross-border wine sales.
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
OpenAI could buy Google Chrome, says Sam Altman — but only if this happens
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has confirmed that the AI startup is interested in buying Google Chrome if Google is forced to sell its browser by the US government. The confirmation from Altman came just days after a Wall Street Journal report revealed that Perplexity AI had reportedly offered $34.5 billion in cash to acquire Chrome from Alphabet. Notably, Google lost an antitrust trial in the United States last year, where the judge ruled that the tech giant had illegally monopolized the online search market. As part of the remedial measures, the Department of Justice has suggested that Chrome be sold to an independent entity to level the playing field. Speaking to reporters, Sam Altman said (as quoted by TechCrunch), 'If Chrome is really going to sell, we should take a look at it.' 'Is it actually going to sell? I assumed it wasn't gonna happen,' the OpenAI CEO added. Meanwhile, there have been reports that OpenAI is building its own AI browser, and Altman confirmed that the recent addition of its CEO of Applications, Fidji Simo, means the company is working on many consumer applications outside of ChatGPT. Altman also stated that OpenAI is interested in exploring a new social media platform, saying there is 'nothing' inspiring to him about the way AI is used on social media today, TechCrunch reported. He said OpenAI is interested in 'whether or not it is possible to build a much cooler kind of social experience with AI.' The OpenAI CEO also confirmed that the company would be backing a neural interface startup called Merge Labs to compete with Elon Musk's Neuralink. 'I think neural interfaces are cool ideas to explore. I would like to be able to think something and have ChatGPT respond to it,' he added. Notably, tensions have flared up between Musk and Altman over alleged Apple bias over App Store. While Musk accused the iPhone maker of being biased towards ChatGPT and not featuring his Grok AI application in any of its rankings, Altman took a dig at the billionaire over X's own policies of amplifying Musks' tweets to all users.
