Apple rejected or removed more than 1 million malicious apps from its App Store and stopped more than $1.5 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2020.
The US tech giant said its combination of sophisticated technology and human expertise kept customers on its online store safe for the year.
Apple also deactivated 244 million customer accounts due to fraudulent and abusive activity , and rejected another 424 million attempted account creations for patterns consistent with fraudulent and abusive activity .
The announcement follows revelations that Apple is facing a £1.5 billion legal battle over allegedly overcharging millions of UK customers for apps in its App Store.
App Store stopped more than $1.5 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2020, it revealed on Tuesday (stock image)
Date Time
App Store stopped over $1.5 billion in suspect transactions in 2020
Apple helps keep the App Store a safe and trusted place for users to discover apps by detecting and taking action against fraudulent developers and users.
Threats have been present since the first day the App Store launched on iPhone, and they’ve increased in both scale and sophistication in the years since. Apple has likewise scaled its efforts to meet those threats, taking relentless steps forward to combat these risks to users and developers alike.
It takes significant resources behind the scenes to ensure these bad actors can’t exploit users’ most sensitive information, from location to payment details. While it’s impossible to catch every act of fraud or ill intent before it happens, thanks to Apple’s industry-leading antifraud efforts, security experts agree the App Store is the safest place to find and download apps.
In an article on its Newsroom page, Apple says that its App Store stopped more than US$1.5 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2020 thanks to its “combination of sophisticated technology and human expertise.”
The tech giant says its App Review team is an essential line of defense, carefully reviewing every app and every update to ensure they adhere to the App Store’s strong guidelines on privacy, security, and spam. The guidelines have changed over time to respond to new threats and challenges, with the goal of protecting users and providing them with the very best experience on the App Store.