Apple works diligently to keep the App Store a secure and trustworthy space for users to explore and download apps, actively identifying and acting against fraudulent developers and users. From the moment the App Store launched, various threats have emerged, becoming more complex and widespread over time. In response, Apple has continuously expanded its efforts to counter these risks and protect both users and legitimate developers.
A vast amount of resources operates behind the scenes to prevent malicious actors from accessing users’ sensitive data such as payment information and location. Although it’s not possible to block every fraudulent act before it happens, Apple’s cutting-edge technology and expert oversight have made the App Store widely recognized as the safest place to find apps. In 2020 alone, Apple prevented over $1.5 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions and stopped nearly one million risky or dangerous new apps from reaching users.
App Review Process
At the heart of this defense system is Apple’s App Review team, which thoroughly evaluates every app and app update to ensure they meet the App Store’s strict guidelines on privacy, security, and spam prevention. These guidelines evolve to tackle emerging threats and maintain a high-quality user experience.
Apple’s intention is to support new app developers. In 2020, the company helped more than 180,000 new developers publish their apps. However, some apps require multiple review attempts to meet the standards, often due to being incomplete, not working properly, or lacking moderation for user-generated content. Nearly one million new apps and close to another million updates were either rejected or removed in 2020 due to various issues.
Among these were serious violations, over 48,000 apps were rejected for hiding unauthorized features, and more than 150,000 were blocked for being spammy, misleading, or deceptive, including those designed to trick users into spending money.
Some developers attempt to deceive Apple’s review system by changing an app’s functionality after approval, a tactic known as a “bait and switch.” These apps are removed immediately upon discovery, and the developers are warned of a 14-day appeal period before permanent account termination. In 2020, around 95,000 apps were removed due to such fraudulent activities. Recently, Apple has taken action against apps that secretly turned into gambling platforms, predatory lending services, explicit content hubs, or were used to promote illegal activities like drug transactions.
Another frequent reason for rejection is data abuse, many apps request unnecessary personal data or misuse the information they collect. In 2020, over 215,000 apps were rejected for violating Apple’s privacy standards. Apple considers privacy a core human right and sees this commitment as a key reason users continue to trust the App Store.
