AN urgent warning is being issued for iPad and iPhone users due to looming privacy and security concerns.
Apple developer Kosta Eleftheriou revealed that the App Store hosted a series of illegal movie streaming services.
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Apple developer Kosta Eleftheriou revealed that the App Store hosted a series of illegal movie streaming apps for monthsCredit: Getty
Eleftheriou showcased a series of apps discussing themselves as legitimate services—using movie trailers and photo filters to fool users.
The app encourages users to enter codes or share the app to unlock more features.
There are also premium subscription tiers in the apps that are processed through Apple Pay, which Apple receives a 15-30 percent cut from.
Eleftheriou stated that the apps have been available in the app store for months despite negative reviews revealing them to be illegal.
Ads for the apps have been pushed, using social media influencers with “millions” of followers to promote them, says Eleftheriou.
“While Apple is failing to police its App Store, these apps have amassed over 2M downloads and are now generating ~16,000/day or about $6M per year,” said Eleftheriou.
Legal documents in the ongoing “Eric Vs Apple” trial, Eric Friedman, head of the company’s Fraud Engineering Algorithms and Risk [FEAR] unit, called App Store security, “bringing a plastic knife to a gunfight,”
Friedman said the App Store review process is “more like the pretty lady who greets you… at the Hawaiian airport than the drug-sniffing dog.”
Eleftheriou has also taken Apple to court, claiming the company copied his Apple Watch app, FlickType.
However, his discoveries within the App Store have made iPhone and iPad users more alert about their devices.
The Sun has reached out to Apple for comment.
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The apps features premium subscription tiers that are processed through Apple PayCredit: Getty
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/tech/4362652/apple-app-store-iphone-security-issue/
