Latest news with #AppStore
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas governor signs app store age verification measure
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill Tuesday requiring app stores, such as those run by Apple and Google, to verify user ages amid a push to ramp up protections for children online. The Lone Star State is the second to pass a law putting the responsibility of age verification on app stores, following Utah's lead. The Texas law is set to go into effect Jan. 1. Apple has pushed back on the measure, emphasizing that it shares the 'goal of strengthening kids' online safety' but is concerned it 'threatens the privacy of all users' by requiring app stores to collect and keep sensitive personal information about users. 'We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information,' an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. The pushback reflects a wider debate over who bears responsibility for determining users' ages — apps themselves or app stores. Social media giants, like Meta, X and Snap, have voiced support for shifting the onus of age verification onto app stores, as the conversation comes to Washington. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. John James (R-Mich.) introduced a bill earlier this month that, much like the measure from Lee's home state, would require Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store to verify user ages. Meta is also part of a new lobbying group in Washington, the Coalition for Competitive Mobile Experience, pushing for app store age verification and raising concerns about Apple's app store practices. They argue that app stores are best suited to handle the issue because they already have age data. 'Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child's age and grant permission for them to download apps in a privacy-preserving way,' Meta, X and Snap said in a joint statement following the Texas bill signing. 'The app store is the best place for it, and more than one-third of US states have introduced bills recognizing the central role app stores play,' they added. 'We applaud Texas for taking this important step and urge Congress to follow suit.' This story was updated at 7:09 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Texas governor signs app store age verification measure
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill Tuesday requiring app stores, such as those run by Apple and Google, to verify user ages amid a push to ramp up protections for children online. The Lone Star State is the second to pass a law putting the responsibility of age verification on app stores, following Utah's lead. The Texas law is set to go into effect Jan. 1. Apple has pushed back on the measure, emphasizing that it shares the 'goal of strengthening kids' online safety' but is concerned it 'threatens the privacy of all users' by requiring app stores to collect and keep sensitive personal information about users. 'We believe there are better proposals that help keep kids safe without requiring millions of people to turn over their personal information,' an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. The pushback reflects a wider debate over who bears responsibility for determining users' ages — apps themselves or app stores. Social media giants, like Meta, X and Snap, have voiced support for shifting the onus of age verification onto app stores, as the conversation comes to Washington. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. John James (R-Mich.) introduced a bill earlier this month that, much like the measure from Lee's home state, would require Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store to verify user ages. Meta is also part of a new lobbying group in Washington, The Coalition for Competitive Mobile Experience, pushing for app store age verification. They argue that app stores are best suited to handle the issue because they already have age data.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple's difficult 2025 is Tim Cook's biggest test yet
Apple's (AAPL) 2025 couldn't be going worse. Its stock price is down 19% on the year, it's facing a Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust probe, and continues to face-off with Epic Games over App Store purchases. The company delayed its improved Siri until later this year and is still trying to catch up to competitors like Google (GOOG, GOOGL) and Samsung on the AI front. And last week, former Apple design chief Jony Ive announced he's working on a new consumer product with Sam Altman and OpenAI ( To top it all off, President Trump is now coming for the company's most important product: the iPhone. Trump fired off a missive on his Truth Social account on Friday demanding that Apple build its iPhones in the US or face a 25% tariff. He later said the same terms apply to Apple rival Samsung. 'The combination of all these factors is arguably the biggest test, I think, Apple has seen in a very long time,' TECHnalysis Research founder and chief analyst Bob O'Donnell told Yahoo Finance. 'It's creating a series of question marks around a company that…never really faced serious question marks for a long time.' And the only person who can answer those questions is CEO Tim Cook. While he's navigated crises in the past, including COVID-induced supply chain crunches, the cavalcade of issues piling up for the iPhone maker will prove to be Cook's biggest challenge yet. Apple's most pressing threat comes in the form of Trump's threat to hit Apple's iPhone with a 25% tariff if Cook doesn't move production to the US. 'I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone's [sic] that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,' Trump wrote in a May 23 Truth Social post. 'If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.' Apple largely avoided Trump's initial round of "Liberation Day" tariffs and subsequent increased levies on goods from China by shifting production of iPhones and other hardware to India, Vietnam, and other regions. During the company's second quarter earnings call, Cook said the majority of US-bound iPhones in the current quarter will come from India, while almost all iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and AirPods will come from Vietnam. Though he added that Apple would still take a $900 million hit from tariffs in the current quarter. Building an iPhone in the US would not only require an Herculean effort to pull off during Trump's term, but would add hundreds of dollars to iPhone prices. 'The reality of Apple being able to do any manufacturing of iPhones in the US is extraordinarily unlikely. And even if they made their best efforts…it's like a five- to 10-year thing,' said O'Donnell. 'By the time they would want to move that kind of manufacturing to the US, it's all going to end up being roboticized. So it's just going to be robots in the US as opposed to people. It's not like it's going to create all these huge numbers of jobs,' he added. According to Morgan Stanley Research's Sharon Shih, an iPhone built in the US would likely cost 35% more than those built in China or India due to tariffs on iPhone components from China and the higher cost of labor in the US. That would send the cost of an iPhone 16 Pro from $999 to $1,350. If, however, Apple decides to accept the 25% tariff as is, Morgan Stanley's Erik Woodring estimates the company would only need to increase global iPhone prices by 4% to 6%. But Trump's tariff threat is a transitory issue that could change at any given time. Apple's bigger problem is its slow start in the AI competition. The company rolled out its Apple Intelligence platform in Oct. 2024, well after Google and Microsoft (MSFT) debuted their own AI services, and delayed the release of its enhanced version of Siri until later this year. On top of that, Apple faces the prospect of a new consumer electronics challenger in the form of Ive and Altman's AI-centric device. 'The piece that, if I'm Tim Cook, that keeps me up at night is the question around AI,' Deepwater Asset Management managing partner Gene Munster told Yahoo Finance. 'And I think that the Ive announcement underscores that there are deep wallets predicting a seismic change in terms of how businesses and consumers use tech. And the force of that change, AI, is something that Apple has struggled with.' Apple has the opportunity to change the narrative around its AI offerings during its WWDC developer event on June 9. Apple is expected to show off the latest versions of its various operating systems including iOS 19 and iPadOS 19, as well as the next iteration of its macOS. Apple will also need to provide more information on when consumers can expect to get their hands on the latest version of Siri and ensure the software has been worth the wait. Lurking in the background of all of this are Apple's ongoing legal battles with the Department of Justice and 'Fortnite' developer Epic Games. The Justice Department filed its antitrust suit against Apple in March 2024, arguing that the company maintains an illegal monopoly over the smartphone market. According to the antitrust suite, Apple harms consumers by making it more difficult for iPhone users to switch to competing products and to access competing services. The complaint also says Apple harms app developers by imposing restrictions on app creation and distribution. A loss in the case could force Apple to open up its walled garden of apps and services, making it easier for users to access third-party hardware and services. Apple is also wrapped up in the DOJ's antitrust case against Google's search dominance. That case, which Google lost, revolves around Google's various deals to keep its search empire ahead of the competition, including through a $20 billion a year agreement with Apple that makes Google the default search engine on iPhones, Macs, and other devices. If Google is forced to ditch that deal, it would put a significant dent in Apple's Services business revenue. Apple also continues to contend with the fallout from its antitrust legal fight with Epic Games, which found that while Apple wasn't violating antitrust laws, it had to provide app developers with a means of pointing customers to options to make app purchases outside of Apple's App Store, avoiding the company's app store fees. But according to US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Apple didn't do that. Instead, it began charging developers a new fee for purchases customers made in their apps outside of the App Store. Gonzalez Rogers is asking prosecutors to look into Apple's moves to review the alleged 'cover-up.' It all adds up to a harrowing 2025 for Apple. And there's still plenty of the year left to go. Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Finextra
10 hours ago
- Business
- Finextra
Apple stopped over $2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2024
Since launching in 2008, the App Store has been a safe and trusted place for users and a vibrant marketplace for developers to grow their businesses around the world. 0 In the last five years, the App Store has protected users by preventing over $9 billion in fraudulent transactions, including over $2 billion in 2024 alone, according to Apple's annual App Store fraud analysis. This reflects the App Store's continued investment in fostering the most secure experience for users while providing developers with tools and resources, including a powerful commerce system that helps customers transact safely and securely in 175 regions around the globe. With an average of more than 813 million visitors a week, the App Store is a trusted destination for users to download their favorite apps and discover new ones. Preserving the App Store's safe and secure marketplace requires constant vigilance, as bad actors continue to evolve their tactics in an attempt to defraud users. These threats range from deceptive apps designed to steal personal information, to fraudulent payment schemes that attempt to exploit users. Apple employs a comprehensive approach to combating fraud on the App Store, with teams across the company working to detect, investigate, and prevent malicious activity before it can reach users. Account Fraud Apple's strong antifraud infrastructure helps ensure that malicious developer and customer accounts are swiftly flagged and eliminated. In 2024, Apple terminated more than 146,000 developer accounts over fraud concerns and rejected an additional 139,000 developer enrollments, preventing bad actors from submitting their apps to the App Store in the first place. Apple also rejected over 711 million customer account creations and deactivated nearly 129 million customer accounts last year, blocking these risky and malicious accounts from carrying out nefarious activity. That includes spamming or manipulating ratings and reviews, charts, and search results that risk compromising the integrity of the App Store. This commitment to safety extends beyond the App Store, as Apple works to prevent risky software distributed by pirate storefronts from reaching users. In 2024, Apple detected and blocked over 10,000 illegitimate apps on pirate storefronts, which include malware, pornography apps, gambling apps, and pirated versions of legitimate apps from the App Store. By restricting these storefronts, Apple also protects developers from having their apps cloned, altered, or weaponised for spreading malicious software. Over the past month, Apple has also stopped nearly 4.6 million attempts to install or launch apps distributed illicitly outside the App Store or approved third-party marketplaces. An infographic titled 'Protecting App Store Users: Account Fraud in 2024' contains the following stats: 1) Over 146,000 developer accounts terminated over fraud concerns; 2) Over 139,000 fraudulent developer enrollments rejected; 3) Over 711 million potentially fraudulent customer account creations rejected; 4) Nearly 4.6 million attempts to install or launch apps distributed illicitly outside the App Store or approved third-party marketplaces stopped. App Review Before any app makes its way onto the App Store, it is vetted by a member of Apple's App Review team, all of whom are deeply familiar with the App Review Guidelines, and focused on ensuring apps meet Apple's standards for quality and safety. On average, this team reviews nearly 150,000 app submissions each week, helping bring new apps and updates to the App Store. Last year, App Review helped more than 220,000 developers publish their first app on the App Store. App Review involves both human review and automated processes to detect and take action on apps that are suspected to be potentially harmful to users. With over 7.7 million App Store submissions reviewed in 2024, more than 1.9 million were rejected for failing to meet Apple's standards for security, reliability, and user experience, including for privacy violations or fraud concerns. Malicious actors are known to employ a variety of tactics in their attempts to circumvent App Review's safeguards and sneak bad apps onto the App Store with the intention of defrauding users. 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. In 2024, App Review removed more than 37,000 apps for fraudulent activity. An App Review illustration shows a broom sweeping up problematic apps. Other common tactics used by fraudulent developers can include concealing hidden features and functionality in their code, which are only enabled after the app passes App Review. Apple monitors for such behaviour, and in 2024, rejected over 43,000 app submissions for containing hidden or undocumented features. App Review also takes action against a number of apps that attempt to trick or scam users, and in 2024, rejected over 320,000 submissions that copied other apps, were found to be spam, or otherwise misled users. These bad actors can also attempt to deceive users by disguising potentially risky software as seemingly innocuous apps. Last year, App Review removed over 17,000 apps for bait-and-switch maneuvers such as these, as part of its ongoing efforts to routinely monitor and take action against problematic apps. Apps that attempt to access users' personal data without their permission or knowledge are also prohibited from the App Store. In 2024, App Review rejected 400,000 app submissions for privacy violations. An infographic titled 'Protecting App Store Users: App Review in 2024' contains the following stats: 1) Over 7.7 million App Store submissions reviewed; 2) Over 1.9 million app submissions rejected for failing to meet Apple's standards; 3) Over 400,000 app submissions rejected for privacy violations; 4) Over 320,000 app submissions rejected for spam, copycats, or misleading users. Discovery Fraud Apple takes swift action against apps that attempt to cheat the system and boost their ranking on the App Store, such as by using bots or paid services to artificially inflate download numbers or post fake five-star reviews. In 2024, Apple processed over 1.2 billion ratings and reviews and took significant action to combat fraud, removing more than 143 million fraudulent ratings and reviews from the App Store. In the same year, Apple also removed more than 7,400 apps from App Store charts and nearly 9,500 deceptive apps from appearing in App Store search results. These actions in turn benefit developers who are in good standing, leveling the playing field and allowing them a fair chance to thrive on the App Store. An infographic titled 'Protecting App Store Users: Discovery Fraud in 2024' contains the following stats: 1) Over 1.2 billion ratings and reviews processed; 2) Over 143 million fraudulent ratings and reviews removed; 3) Over 7,400 potentially fraudulent apps removed from App Store charts; 4) Nearly 9,500 deceptive apps removed from App Store search results. Payment and Credit Card Fraud Apple is diligent in its mission to protect users from scam and payment threats, and in 2024, protected users by preventing more than $2 billion in fraudulent transactions. Apple also takes credit card fraud extremely seriously and remains committed to protecting users from such. For example, when consumers make a purchase with Apple Pay, it uses a device-specific number and unique transaction code so a card number is never stored on a consumer's device or on Apple servers. Additionally, credit and debit card numbers are never shared with developers, thus eliminating another risk factor in the payment transaction process. Last year, Apple identified nearly 4.7 million stolen credit cards and banned over 1.6 million accounts from transacting again. In addition to its antifraud measures, Apple also equips developers with access to world-class payment technologies. Examples of these include Apple Pay and StoreKit, which are used by over 420,000 apps to provide users with a safe, secure way to make purchases on the App Store. Developers leveraging StoreKit can take advantage of Apple's in-app purchase system, which provides users with much more than a way to purchase subscriptions and digital add-ons. 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. Every transaction is authenticated with a user's Apple ID, backed by an industry-leading fraud protection engine, and handled with end-to-end encryption. An infographic titled 'Protecting App Store Users: Payment and Credit Card Fraud in 2024' contains the following stats: 1) Over $2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions prevented; 2) Over 4.7 million stolen credit cards prevented from being used; 3) Over 1.6 million accounts banned from transacting again. Keeping Users Safe Apple will continue to build on its commitment to provide users with the safest and most secure experience on the App Store, which includes empowering them with resources to get help and report suspected fraud.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple Readies New Gaming App Across Devices
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) plans to roll out a standalone gaming hub app on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV later this year, Bloomberg reports. The new launcher will replace Game Center and centralize game discovery, in-app achievements, leaderboards and player chat, while surfacing editorial picks and promoting Apple Arcade. It'll be preinstalled across devices and integrate with the App Store's existing game catalog. Bloomberg adds that Apple has already snapped up RAC7the two-person studio behind Sneaky Sasquatchto bolster exclusive content. Apple hasn't commented publicly, but this move underscores its ambition to capture more of the $200 billion mobile-gaming market, where it currently earns roughly 30% of in-app spending. By embedding a dedicated gaming portal, Apple can drive engagement, spotlight premium titles and potentially lift Services revenuenow nearly $80 billion annually. Investors should care because a unified gaming destination could boost user stickiness and spur higher in-app purchases, while giving Apple more leverage in negotiating with developers. On a side note, Apple is making it easier for users to fix their own devices. Starting May 29, iPad owners can access repair manuals, genuine parts, and tools through the company's Self Service Repair program. The update includes newer models like the iPad Air (M2) and iPad Pro (M4). Apple also shared updates on its parts distribution program for independent repair shops. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
