Apple launched new knowledge about anti-fraud measures associated to its operation of the iOS App Retailer on Tuesday morning, trumpeting a declare that it stopped over $7 billion in “doubtlessly fraudulent transactions” throughout the 4 years between 2020 and 2023.
Greater than $1.8 billion of that complete was stopped in 2023, per Apple, which is down from the $2 billion in doubtlessly fraudulent transactions Apple reported stopping in 2022. It additionally stated it blocked over 14 million stolen bank cards and greater than 3.3 million accounts from transacting once more between 2020 and 2023.
As with all self-reported company metrics, the goal is to form a story: In Apple’s case it’s a longstanding declare that its cell ecosystem units “the usual for security, reliability, and person expertise”, as its weblog submit places it.
It’s price noting that counter-narratives do exist, such because the developer lawsuit Apple settled again in fall 2022, which had raised complaints about unfair app rejections, scams and fraud.
The timing of Apple’s weblog submit coincides — coincidentally or not — with the kick-off of Google’s developer confab, I/O. That’s attention-grabbing as a result of, in current months, Mountain View has been working a pilot of a brand new automated anti-fraud measure for its personal app retailer, Google Play, suggesting competitors to burnish cell security cred is heating up because of AI.
Apple’s different stress level on ecosystem integrity comes from regulators. Within the European Union the iPhone maker has, since February, been pressured into permitting third-party app shops and app sideloading underneath the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). It should additionally let builders use third-party fee tech (quite than its personal) if they want. Apple argues the DMA’s enforced openness is weakening the security of its iOS ecosystem.
The “fourth annual fraud prevention evaluation” Apple has revealed right this moment gives a retrospective have a look at the place its App Retailer ecosystem stood on stopping scams and different problematic behaviors earlier than meddling EU regulators bought concerned.
It additionally reads like a advertising and marketing pitch to builders who, within the EU no less than, have an growing array of selections about tips on how to distribute their apps, quite than being pressured to undergo the Apple’s App Retailer to achieve iOS customers.
App Retailer integrity within the body
Reporting further metrics for 2023, Apple stated it rejected greater than 1.7 million app submissions for failing to fulfill its “stringent” requirements for privateness, security and content material. It additionally stated its efforts to cease and scale back App Retailer fraud led to it terminating almost 374 million developer and buyer accounts, and eradicating “near” 152 million scores and opinions over fraud issues.
Additionally in 2023, Apple stated it shuttered near 118,000 developer accounts — which its weblog submit notes is a marked lower from the 428,000 terminations within the prior 12 months (2022). It credit “continued enhancements” in stopping the creation of probably fraudulent accounts within the first place with this lower, with out specifying the modifications it’s made.
In additional actions final 12 months, Apple stated it rejected greater than 91,000 developer enrollments for “fraud issues” — stopping these accounts from submitting what it couched as “problematic apps” to the App Retailer.
Apple says is App Evaluation group has over 500 workers who’re tasked with evaluating each app submission. “On common, the group opinions roughly 132,500 apps per week, and in 2023, reviewed almost 6.9M app submissions whereas serving to greater than 192,000 builders publish their first app onto the App Retailer,” it wrote.
Apple stated its App Evaluation workflow entails each automated processes and human assessment to attempt to spot and block fraud and different harms. In 2023, greater than 1.7 million app submissions have been rejected by Apple for “varied causes, together with privateness violations and fraudulent exercise”.
“Dangerous actors make use of misleading techniques to hurt customers, together with the apply of disguising doubtlessly dangerous apps as innocuous ones,” the corporate wrote. “Over the previous 12 months, there have been quite a few situations the place App Evaluation recognized apps initially misrepresented as innocent merchandise — comparable to picture editors or puzzle video games — that later remodeled postreview into pirate film streaming platforms, unlawful playing apps, or fraudulent and predatory mortgage issuers,” it wrote.
“In some excessive situations, the group additionally recognized and eliminated monetary service apps concerned in complicated and malicious social engineering efforts designed to defraud customers, together with apps impersonating identified companies to facilitate phishing campaigns and that offered fraudulent monetary and funding companies,” Apple added, noting App Retailer reviewers “eliminated or rejected 40,000 apps from builders who engaged in bait-and-switch exercise” throughout the 12 months.
