Ahead of WWDC 2024, Apple’s latest annual fraud prevention analysis reveals significant strides in safeguarding the integrity of its App Store ecosystem in 2023. With a relentless commitment to stringent standards for privacy, security, and content, Apple rejected over 1.7 million app submissions failing to meet these criteria.
Cupertino’s proactive measures against fraud resulted in the termination of nearly 374 million developer and customer accounts, alongside the removal of close to 152 million ratings and reviews due to fraud concerns. Notably, Apple terminated around 118,000 developer accounts, a decrease from the previous year, thanks to improved prevention methods against fraudulent account creation.
Apple also blocked over 153 million fraudulent account creations and deactivated nearly 374 million accounts for fraud and abuse at the customer account level. Moreover, the company detected and blocked over 47,000 illegitimate apps on pirate storefronts and prevented nearly 3.8 million attempts to install illicitly distributed apps through the Developer Enterprise Program.
Apple’s rigorous App Review process, conducted by a team of over 500 experts, evaluates each app submission before it reaches users. In 2023, the team reviewed nearly 6.9 million app submissions and helped over 192,000 developers publish their first app on the App Store.
The review process includes checks for privacy violations and fraudulent activity, leading to the rejection of over 1.7 million app submissions. Instances of deceptive tactics by bad actors, such as disguising risky apps as innocuous ones, were also identified and addressed.
Furthermore, App Review took action against apps engaging in bait-and-switch tactics, rejecting or removing 40,000 such apps in 2023. Over 248,000 app submissions were rejected for violating Apple’s policies against spam, copying other apps, or misleading users, while over 38,000 were rejected for containing hidden features. Over 375,000 app submissions were rejected for accessing users’ private data without consent.
Apple’s efforts in fraud prevention also extended to financial transactions, preventing over USD 1.8 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2023 alone. Over the period from 2020 to 2023, Apple blocked over 14 million stolen credit cards and more than 3.3 million accounts from transacting again, preventing over USD 7 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in four years.
Follow FE Tech Bytes on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook
