Apple was unable to convince a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit accusing it of promoting, hosting, and profiting from illegal casino-style apps in the App Store. Here are the details.
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A new study says there has been a dramatic rise in the number of fraudulent mobile apps on both iOS and Android. Many of these appear to have been either generated with, or powered by, AI tools.
So far in 2025, there’s been a 300% increase in fraudulent apps on iOS, and a 600% increase on Android …
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Apple has frequently cited insecure and scam apps as justification for wanting all iPhone apps to be sold exclusively in the company’s own App Store.
Numerous reports, however, have found that there is no shortage of scam apps making it through Apple’s app review process, and the company is now under fresh legal scrutiny in the EU over this issue …
Update September 23, 2025, 10:41am PT: Apple has issued the following statement to 9to5Mac:
“As digital threats have evolved in scope and complexity over the years, Apple has expanded its antifraud initiatives to address these challenges and protect users. Every day, teams across Apple monitor and investigate fraudulent activity and utilize sophisticated tools to stop bad actors. Unfortunately, the European Commission is undermining our efforts by forcing Apple to allow alternative app distribution and payments, despite warnings that this puts users at greater risk of fraud and scams. While the regulator focuses on issuing misguided and counterproductive threats of investigation and fines, we will continue to advocate for the safety and security of our users.”
Apple says that in the last five years, the App Store has prevented over $9 billion in fraudulent transactions, including over $2 billion in 2024 alone.
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We last month learned that Epic Games had won its antitrust case against Apple in Australia, with the court ruling that the iPhone maker must permit side-loading and third-party payments.
The full reasoning for that decision has now been published – all 900 pages of it – and Apple has accused the judge of underestimating the privacy and security risks to users …
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From the United States to the United Kingdom, from Brazil to Japan, and in many countries in between, Apple has been facing a series of antitrust probes, particularly over its App Store rules. Now, Colombia is also joining in. Here are the details.
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Apple has been under fire from legislators for its App Store practices for years. But while it’s been forced to make iPhone changes in the EU and the US might soon follow, Google is now trending the opposite direction with its Android policies.
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Apple is contacting developers about upcoming tax and price updates for a few countries, including Canada, Romania, and Brazil. Here are the details.
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Indie content platform Substack now lets you subscribe to newsletters, podcasts, and video channels via an in-app purchase.
However, while this removes friction from the subscription sign-up process, you definitely shouldn’t use it, for two reasons …
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Last night, Elon Musk took to X to complain about the fact that Apple never seems to feature either X or Grok on the App Store. He claimed the company was unfairly favoring ChatGPT, and said xAI would take “immediate legal action”. Today, Apple responded.
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Fortnite returned to the App Store in the US back in May after a federal court ruling, and is now set to return to iOS in Australia through the Epic Games store after a similar judgment there.
While Epic Games celebrated the ruling, the fate of the app in other countries still remains far from certain – and its availability in the US may be temporary …
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iOS 26 will bring big feature updates to apps like Wallet, Music, Messages, and more. But there are also several new features coming to the App Store, here’s what’s new in iOS 26.
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Apple has frequently argued that it is reasonable for it to have monopolistic control over the sale of iPhone apps because it vets them for safety and security. This has been called into question over scam apps accepted into the App Store, and the same questions are being asked regarding the Tea app.
The so-called dating advice app has been revealed to have major security vulnerabilities, which have exposed private chats and personal data of tens of thousands of women …
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Apple is notifying developers about automatic changes to the age rating of their apps and games, as it introduces more granular tiers as part of the upcoming expanded family tools. Here’s what that means.
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Last month, Apple announced another set of major changes to the App Store in the European Union, as part of its ongoing back-and-forth with regulators about the Digital Markets Act.
According to a new report from Reuters, Apple’s latest changes just might be enough to satisfy the European Commission.
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White House condemnation of a free app has drawn substantial attention to it, helping ICEBlock become the most popular social networking app in the App Store, beating out apps like X and Instagram.
ICEBlock alerts people to sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in their area, following a major immigration crackdown by the White House. Update: The US attorney general has said the app’s developer “had better watch out” – see end of the piece …
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The ongoing TikTok saga rumbles on, but a new report claims that we may be close to a resolution. It says US TikTok users will get their own version of the app, which will be owned by an American company.
The latest development happens shortly after we got sight of the letter sent to Apple to persuade the company to return TikTok to the App Store despite it being illegal to do so …
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As expected, Apple has today formally appealed the €500 million fine it received from the European Commission for allegedly violating the Digital Markets Act.
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Apple last week announced an insanely complex set of changes to its App Store terms in the EU, and hidden in the small–print is one sign that the company might be reducing its standard commission from 30% to 20%, and that it may make this change globally.
If so, it would be the first time the company has ever reduced its 30% cut for all developers, and might go a long way to tackling its legal battles with antitrust regulators around the world …
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In April, Apple was fined 500 million euros for violating the Digital Markets Act in the European Union. Since that penalty was announced, however, the company hasn’t detailed any further changes to its App Store Guidelines to avoid future fines.
A new report from the Financial Times today says that Apple is “locked in last-minute” negotiations with the European Commission about ways to ease its App Store anti-steering provisions.
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You know it’s a day that ends in “y” when there’s a new App Store lawsuit. This time, the issue isn’t antitrust or developer rejection complaints, but rather a class action accusing Apple of facilitating the spread of cryptocurrency scams by allowing a fake trading app onto the App Store. Here’s what happened.
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Apple is giving App Store developers a long-overdue tool to better promote in-app purchases, including for games. Starting later this year, developers will finally be able to generate and distribute promo codes for any type of in-app purchase, not just subscriptions. Here’s how it’s going to work.
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Ahead of WWDC next week, Apple is out with a new report today touting how the App Store “helps developers reach new heights.” According to Apple, the global App Store “supported” $1.3 trillion in billings and sales in 2024.
This comes after Apple touted the $406 billion impact of the App Store in the United States alone last week.
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Update: Apple has responded to the ruling with a statement provided to 9to5Mac, saying it “strongly disagrees” with the court’s opinion. You can find the full statement below.
Apple has just taken yet another hit in its ongoing legal standoff with Epic Games. As reported by Reuters, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Apple’s emergency request to pause key parts of a lower court order that forces the company to immediately open its App Store to greater competition.
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Two payment companies have teamed up to let developers sell in-app purchases outside the App Store, offering a single service that works across iOS and web.
Even small businesses can save money on the deal, paying 10% on payments of under $10, and 5% plus $0.50 above that threshold. For users, the experience is almost as seamless as Apple’s own system when you opt to use Apple Pay …
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