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Apple Officially Bans Scammy Antivirus Apps From iOS App Store (theverge.com)

Posted by msmash on from the tightening-bolts dept.

Fake "virus scanning" apps have plagued the iOS App Store for a while, and Apple seems to finally be banning them once and for all in updated developer guidelines it published last week. From a report: The updated developer guidelines, compiled by Paul Hudson over at Hacking With Swift, now includes a ban on apps that claim to "including content or services that it does not actually offer" -- something that includes any iOS virus scanning apps, seeing as it wasn't possible to scan for viruses on iOS with third party apps, since iOS's sandboxing prevents applications from directly interacting with each other or the core of the iOS operating system.

51 comments

  1. So what by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Freeblade has AR photo mode now
    where is the article on that

  2. What took them so long? by BasilBrush · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Virus scanners have never been possible on iOS due to each app not bring able to read the disk folders of other apps. So why have Apple been approving apps that claim to do so for years?

    1. Re: What took them so long? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      To avoid the complaints on Slashdot about the tyranny of the wall garden.

    2. Re:What took them so long? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because then Android crybullies whine about "muh walled garden".

    3. Re:What took them so long? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Because of 30% of every sale.

    4. Re:What took them so long? by grub · · Score: 1

      I'm playing Devil's Advocate, but perhaps some of these could be legit and able to scan for viruses on iCloud Drive?

      --
      Trolling is a art,
    5. Re:What took them so long? by DogDude · · Score: 2

      Because of 30% of every sale.

      Yup, that's the real reason.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    6. Re: What took them so long? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Interesting trick, taking bad behaviour and trying to blame the competition for it.

      If Android jumped off a cliff, would you follow it?

      (Of course, we know you would, only you'd do it 2 years later and you'd claim its an innovative new feature nobody has thought of before)

    7. Re: What took them so long? by that+this+is+not+und · · Score: 1

      They would also announce it as a feature on a new model of gadget halfway through the introductory announcement of the 'new' gadget that it replaces. And charge $1000 for it.

    8. Re:What took them so long? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Holy shit, a post from BasilBrush that's not blindly defending Apple! Kudos, hope to see more consideration of both sides in the future. :) (or really, the fact that this isn't Team A vs Team B... all products and companies have their strengths and weaknesses)

      Now, if we could just get macs4all, I mean TheFakeTimCook to stop getting so personally offended when someone posts a reasoned argument pointing out a flaw in something Apple's done...

    9. Re:What took them so long? by sinij · · Score: 2

      One possible reason - compliance. Many frameworks explicitly call for anti virus software, if you don't have it then you can't get certified. Meaning less secure platform would be used because it has AV to checkbox the requirement.

    10. Re:What took them so long? by parkinglot777 · · Score: 1

      Virus scanners have never been possible on iOS due to each app not bring able to read the disk folders of other apps. So why have Apple been approving apps that claim to do so for years?

      How about they automate the app approval process? I know, it is a cheap way to do, but that's the only reason I can think of to bypass their approval as long as the app follows all the guidelines (not trigger any error/warning in the detection process). Also, Apple hopes that people would submit a complaint if they find something wrong -- another cheaper way to operate and manage their app.

  3. Drat! by cdreimer · · Score: 1

    Another business idea bites the dust.

    1. Re:Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn, I guess nobody's making coffee money off that business idea, then!

      It failed, just like spamming slashdot with affiliate links to make a penny or two a day failed, eh?

    2. Re:Drat! by cdreimer · · Score: 1

      It failed, just like spamming slashdot with affiliate links to make a penny or two a day failed, eh?

      I'm still making $100+ per month from affiliate sales on Slashdot.

      https://twitter.com/cdreimer/status/908354293031473154

    3. Re:Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      It's not surprising that you thought "scammy" was a business idea. Your entire on-line existence is a scam. Shitty, worthless ebooks, garbage blogs, and generally useless posts here.

      BTW, once your office chair fails by ramming a gas cylinder through your rectum, consider this as your next chair:

    4. Re:Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Your soul comes cheap

    5. Re:Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, you *made* $100+ per month from affiliate sales on Slashdot -- for two months. Last month you were below 100, and this month, you're also on track to fall below 100.

      So keep scrabbling, creimer. Maybe you'll find a quarter or two on the street to augment your earnings this month.

    6. Re:Drat! by cdreimer · · Score: -1, Troll

      No, you *made* $100+ per month from affiliate sales on Slashdot -- for two months. Last month you were below 100, and this month, you're also on track to fall below 100.

      I've already made $100 for this month. The data is skewed by August sales. Not just for my account but the whole economy.

      https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/15/amazon-is-skewing-the-whole-countrys-retail-sales-data.html

    7. Re:Drat! by cdreimer · · Score: -1

      It's not surprising that you thought "scammy" was a business idea. Your entire on-line existence is a scam. Shitty, worthless ebooks, garbage blogs, and generally useless posts here.

      Most people regard a business built around marketing to be a scam. Most people also believe that they are fully in control of their lives. That is until they see an advertisement for an Apple iPhone and rush out to get one to stay ahead of the Jones.

      BTW, once your office chair fails by ramming a gas cylinder through your rectum, consider this as your next chair:

      Not sure why you think I would break my office chair. It's only ten years old.

    8. Re: Drat! by that+this+is+not+und · · Score: 1

      I bough my office chair at a surplus store 20 years ago. It's a Herman Miller, of course.

    9. Re: Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't have the skill to write an iOS app let alone a virus scanner. You can barely write a Python script. You found one on github.
      It has taken you 3+ years to get certified. Also, think linebacker. NO, I think useless fat ass who literally offers nothing at all to discussions. So glad the Creimer account got banned, probably for spamming you worhthless fat fuck.

      Also please don't leave slashdot, I get good laughs everyday from the trolls that SHIT all over you. I also get a kick out of seeing you try to defend yourself and fail miserably everytime. Not once have you won an argument.

      I wanna see you and APK battle it out. Let's see who is the biggest shit bag on slashdot. My money's on you. APK atleast had a life and uses bots, while you post the old fashion way. Matter of fact, APK isn't even real so by default you are the biggest shit bag. Congrats you fat asshole.

      Advertisement: try the Creimer diet today folks, 15 pounds in 3 years, a slow gradual healthy weight loss regiment. Consisting of Powerbars ,ciff bars, and double diet Mountain Dew.

    10. Re: Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you sound bitter, fake tits

    11. Re:Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shut up you disgusting sexist fat sexist tube of lard!

      I told you I was out of meds yesterday and you didn't even care to contact me you lazy fucker.

      How many time do I have to express the emergency of the situation??????

      The python click script you wrote for my pheromone revenue stream web site suddently stopped to work!!!!!!

      You fucking incompetent python script writer!!!

      When it works, I get 4000+ clicks a day on my pheromone revenue stream web site but only 5 or 6 without it!!!!

      Now, it seems like you dont care and that you have abandoned me you heartless fucking pig!

      Bonus:
      Here is a story that creimer told me when convincing me what a hard life he had:

      The tree was him and the tree knot was his butt hole!

      So, his uncle packed his fat ass with lard and with his cock! Not that it makes much of a difference but anyway, there it is!

      Signed:
      The girl that used to love you and now hates you, burn in hell where you belong you sexist pig!

    12. Re:Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Information about Christopher Dale Reimer and autistic people:

      Autistic people have obsessions about things normal people don't care. For example, one of our autistic patient went haywire when he realized that there was a penny missing in his pocket change.

      To calm him down, one of our educator pretended to have found it on the floor and gave a penny to him.

      The autistic patient condition went even worse because he realized it wasn't the same penny!

      Chris has an obsession with budgeting every penny. He doesn't understand that most people do not budget to the penny and have a flexible amount they allow for miscellaneous items.

      I am Nancy Guerrero and I am Director of Special Education for the Santa Clara County Office of Education. We use Chris' (a.k.a. creimer,cdreimer) picture in our document because he is the hardest case we have ever had to handle:
      http://www.sccoe.org/depts/stu...

      Our artists were inspired by the low carb diet that Christopher follows scrupulously for the small lunch box and by the picture linked below for the rest. I am sure that you will notice the similarities such as the bump on the side of his chest and more:
      https://www.cdreimer.com/slash...

      Please be easy on Christopher although, I am aware that some of our staff handling Chris post joke comments here and obvoiusly, the Santa Clara County Office of Education disapprove that behavior vehemently:
      https://school.discoveryeducat...

      But it isn't Chris' fault if he is the way he is. We do the best we can do with him and he is partially integrated into society. We try to cure his abnormal need for attention but he is kind of stubborn and won't listen to anybody.

      Thank You dear users,
      -Nancy Guerrero

    13. Re:Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You definitely right creimer! That wanker troll obviously doesn't know what he is talking about!

      Don't worry about your office chair, it is your head you have to be careful about:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    14. Re: Drat! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's a regimen, not a regiment. Don't be a creimer, lurn ur werds gud

  4. Yes, their all fake so good news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    I am sort of disappointed that not a single free antivirus app exists on the Apple App store. But their was plenty of fake stuff that was worse then having a virus in my opinion. Should have never been approved in the first place.

    1. Re:Yes, their all fake so good news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Until there is a virus for iOS, there is no need for an anti-virus package, free or otherwise.

    2. Re: Yes, their all fake so good news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry?

    3. Re: Yes, their all fake so good news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Malware != virus.

    4. Re: Yes, their all fake so good news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'll probably also say Trojan horse or Command & Control != Virus too.

      Both have been demonstrated by security researchers to have been approved, and the only reason the app (and the researcher) have been banned is because they went public with it.

      How many malware do you know of announce theirb presence?

  5. Refunds? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Will the poor souls that spent money on the apps and or in app purchases they may have had get refunded?

    1. Re:Refunds? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think the class action suit will result in a payout of approximately 12 cents to each of the harmed litigants with $38 million going to the lawyers.

  6. I wonder if someone is going to sue Apple by HannethCom · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As I understand it, Apple reviews all apps. That means that Apple deliberately allowed fraud apps onto their store. Under US law that is referred to as aiding and abetting.

    --
    Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon what's the difference? All steal money from devs and control with walled gardens.
    1. Re:I wonder if someone is going to sue Apple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Would not be the first felony apple committed. E-book price fixing and collusion.

    2. Re:I wonder if someone is going to sue Apple by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      Wasn't the e-book thing about Apple selling at a lower price than Amazon, and Amazon throwing a fit over the whole thing?

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re:I wonder if someone is going to sue Apple by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 3, Informative

      Apple does not sell eBooks.
      The authors of eBooks sell eBooks, using Apples and Amazons and other platforms.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    4. Re:I wonder if someone is going to sue Apple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Seriously? RDF at work??

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Apple_Inc.

    5. Re:I wonder if someone is going to sue Apple by the_B0fh · · Score: 2

      You are expecting facts and reason when [TaylorSwift] Hater's Gonna Hate [/TaylorSwift]

    6. Re:I wonder if someone is going to sue Apple by Petersko · · Score: 3, Informative

      Fraud can be notoriously difficult to litigate. For instance, a bunch of antivirus apps on iOS would allow you to open an attachment in the app (say, a PDF), and it would scan the file. While it couldn't do more than that, it would likely survive a fraud accusation unless the vendor description was extravagantly inaccurate.

      Apple hasn't historically checked if an application was fit for the purpose - they didn't evaluate if a product was a good one. They were interested in things like:

      - Does it replicate built-in functions?
      - Is it buggy?
      - Does it contain malware?
      - Does it conform to application UI design standards?

      The criteria by which they review an application mostly closes the door on the question of fraud. This is in the grey area, and so they're finally addressing it.

    7. Re: I wonder if someone is going to sue Apple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bzzzt, they never checked for malware (or never checked effectively for it).

      Many apps with hidden functionality (malware or useful features like tethering back when it wasn't allowed) were let through easily. Many Security researchers got through command and control apps, and that whole Chinese sdk thing last year...

      There's practically no checks for malware.

  7. Oblig. Simpsons ref by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm playing Devil's Advocate,

    Me too! (pinball noises...)
    Yay, replay!

  8. iam understand by www.al-awa2el.com · · Score: 1

    iam understand !!! i need to understanding this

    --
    ØرÙfØ© ØÙØ
  9. Still useful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can't scan your downloaded/saved files folder for something that could harm your PC when you connect it?

  10. Your mistake by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Would not be the first felony apple committed. E-book price fixing and collusion.

    That would be Amazon, Apple tried to stop that felony and was punished for it.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Your mistake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Sure. Lets not concern ourselves with facts. Blindly worship apple.

    2. Re:Your mistake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would not be the first felony apple committed. E-book price fixing and collusion.

      That would be Amazon, Apple tried to stop that felony and was punished for it.

      How TF could Amazon collude to fix prices under the Wholesale Model? It was Apple who colluded to force the switch to the Agency Model so that publishers could fix prices across all ebook platforms.

      With BS like that you could even teach Steve Bannon how to lie more convincingly.

    3. Re:Your mistake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The actual facts of this case are available for anyone to read.
      http://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015.10.28-Petition-for-Certiorari_149252037_1-2.pdf

      But i seriously doubt you are able to or would even consider it with your ridiculous pro-apple bias.
      No wonder people think apple is a cult.

  11. Done. by theendlessnow · · Score: 1

    We will no longer support software in our store due to customer complaints.

    This includes the recently popular book apps "How to flush away your money problems" (translated) and "How to upload python libraries when somebody already used that name". However, "How to screw the customer with Digital Rights Management" will still be available (free for all members of W3C).

  12. Only because of Apple's shenanigans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple does not sell eBooks.
    The authors of eBooks sell eBooks, using Apples and Amazons and other platforms.

    Before Apple collided with publishers, ebooks on Amazon were sold under the Wholesale Model just like physical books. That meant Amazon actually bought the ebook copies from the publisher at a set price and then Amazon sold its ebook copies at whatever price Amazon wanted to ... sometimes even a lower price than Amazon themselves had paid.

    The point of Apple's collusion was to force ebooks out of the Wholesale Model and into the Agency Model. Unlike the Wholesale Model, the Agency Model does not require (or even allow) the distributor to purchase resellable ebooks. Instead the Agency Model demands that the publishers sell ebooks directly and simply pay a piece of the action to the distributors afterward.

    It's obvious Apple wanted that change because it let them avoid the financial risks of the Wholesale Model. It takes a bit more looking to understand that the publishers also wanted to force that change because it let them protect their print business by keeping popular ebook prices from drastically undercutting hard copy prices.