Apple’s App Retailer prevented over $2 billion in doubtlessly fraudulent transactions final yr, the tech large touted in a press launch on Tuesday. The corporate says it rejected practically 1.7 million app submissions in 2022 for failing to satisfy the App Retailer’s requirements for privateness and safety.
The press launch comes as Apple faces a continued push to open up iPhones and iPads to third-party app shops. Final yr, the European Union handed the Digital Markets Act that may go into impact in 2024 and drive huge tech corporations to permit various app shops on their platforms, giving builders a selection in app distribution and customers the power to obtain apps from totally different sources.
After the European Union handed the Digital Markets Act, Bloomberg reported that Apple was making ready to permit various app shops on its iPhones and iPads to adjust to the upcoming the necessities. The corporate is reportedly going to launch the modifications as a part of the discharge of iOS 17 this yr.
Apple has lengthy argued that sideloading, which refers back to the course of of putting in an app on a telephone or pill with out utilizing the machine’s official App Retailer, would expose customers to safety dangers. The concept of sideloading and App Retailer charges have additionally been the middle of focus in Apple’s prolonged feud with Epic. Apple has pressed U.S. lawmakers on the risks of sideloading, arguing that it retains tight management of the apps in its App Retailer with the intention to preserve customers protected.
All through at this time’s press launch, Apple reiterates that its safety measures, together with the App Retailer overview course of, are what helped it forestall fraudulent transactions. The corporate notes that final yr it “protected customers from practically 57,000 untrustworthy apps from illegitimate storefronts, which wouldn’t have the identical built-in privateness and safety protections because the App Retailer.” The assertion primarily reiterates the tech large’s stance on third-party app shops. Apple goes on to notice that “unauthorized marketplaces distribute dangerous software program that may imitate standard apps or alter them with out the consent of their builders.”
Regardless of Apple’s efforts, it’s value noting that Apple’s app overview course of is hardly excellent and doesn’t assure that iOS customers are all the time shielded from scams and fraud and even from malware contained in the App Retailer.
Within the press launch, Apple additionally touted the safety of it fee applied sciences like StoreKit and Apple Pay, noting that it blocked practically 3.9 million stolen bank cards from getting used to make fraudulent purchases, and banned 714,000 accounts from transacting once more.
The corporate additionally outlined that it performs quite a few security checks on each app earlier than it makes its approach onto the App Retailer with the intention to shield customers. Final yr, the corporate rejected practically 1.7 million app submissions for numerous causes, together with issues associated to fraud and privateness. Virtually 24,000 apps have been blocked or faraway from the App Retailer for bait-and-switch violations.
Greater than 153,000 app submissions rejected from the App Retailer final yr have been discovered to be spam, copycats, or deceptive, the corporate says. As well as, practically 29,000 submissions have been rejected for holding hidden or undocumented options. Greater than 400,000 app submissions have been rejected for privateness violations, the corporate says.
The press launch goes on to notice that Apple terminated over 428,000 developer accounts for doubtlessly fraudulent exercise final yr. It additionally rejected practically 105 million Apple Developer Program enrollments for suspected fraudulent actions. As well as, Apple disabled over 282 million buyer accounts related to fraudulent and abusive exercise, and that 198 million tried fraudulent new accounts have been blocked earlier than they might even be created.
As Apple faces continued stress to open up iPhones and iPads to third-party app shops, the corporate is actually utilizing at this time’s press launch to tout the safety of its App Retailer and fee applied sciences as a approach of reiterating its stance on sideloading and third-party app shops.