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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.

21 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. 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: 4, Informative

      Because of 30% of every sale.

    3. 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,
    4. 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.
    5. 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.

    6. 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.

    7. 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.

  2. Drat! by cdreimer · · Score: 1

    Another business idea bites the dust.

    1. 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

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

      Your soul comes cheap

    3. 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.

  3. 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 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
    2. 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.
    3. 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.

    4. 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]

    5. 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.

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

    iam understand !!! i need to understanding this

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    ØرÙfØ© ØÙØ
  5. 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
  6. 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).