Today, September 14th, Apple hosts a conference to announce a range of new products and services, including the new iPhone 13 and Apple Watch. However, there are controversies. The expected premiere of iOS 15 will bring changes that privacy-oriented users may perceive as contrary to Apple’s communication about privacy as the ultimate value for the company.
Recently, Apple announced that iOS 15 would feature scanning users’ photos and informing authorities to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM). However, this change caused users concerns that their privacy might be affected by the proposed feature. 6,000 people in San Francisco protested against it.
In the background, there are also lawsuits against Apple and allegedly too large fees for in-app purchases. Developers argue that a 30% fee is unreasonable and influences users with higher prices for products and services.
Pixalate recently revealed the Mobile - Delisted Apps Report: H1 2021, providing insights into how Apple App Store and Google Play Store sometimes protect users and delist malicious apps from the stores. The report found out that 59% of all delisted apps (in H1 2021) from the Apple App Store did not have a Privacy Policy prior to delisting, according to Pixalate’s analysis. Jalal Nasir indicated that CSAM policy might monitor some issues, but much more important matters are waiting to be addressed.
David Louie, ABC7 News tech reporter, introduced Pixalate and informed that “Pixalate studied apps in Apple App Store and found that some do not have a privacy policy, exposing weaknesses that even proposed scanning program, known as CSAM, doesn’t.”
Jalal Nasir, CEO of Pixalate, explained that “Apple, with the CSAM announcement, might monitor the front door in some ways, but the window in the backdoor of this house needs much more transparency and policing than the front doors right now.”
Download a copy of the H1 2021 Delisted Apps Report here for free.
You can also register for our webinar on September 30, 2021, we will review this data — and other data about risk factors in the mobile in-app ecosystem — in greater detail.
