App Store

9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

When Apple dropped App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompts in iOS 14.5 back in 2021, it was a watershed moment for user privacy within third-party applications. Nothing like it had existed prior. The initiative gave iPhone users control over whether their in-app data could be aggregated and shared with third parties for advertising or other various purposes.

Still, today, I often find comments online from people who don’t really know what it does and find the wording very taboo. Like, why “Ask” the app? And is it still effective? Let’s briefly look at App Tracking Transparency in 2025…

A landmark case in the UK concerning Apple’s App Store practices has just been decided, with a London tribunal ruling against the company in a move that could cost Apple up to $2 billion.

Remember Tea, the dating safety app that leaked private chats and photo IDs in July? Months later, Apple has removed the iPhone app from the App Store.

Apple recently explained how it will comply with an App Store age verification law in Texas, and it will now face a similar requirement in California.

Apple found a privacy-respecting approach to the Texas law, and it seems that it will be able to adopt a similar one here …

A new state law in Texas will soon require apps to enforce a form of ‘age assurance’ with users, and in response, Apple has announced changes coming for apps available in Texas.

Although Apple is on record as saying that it wants to see the EU’s Digital Markets Act either repealed or substantially revised, it is reportedly close to reaching a settlement with the antitrust regulator.

In public, the two have engaged in a pretty fierce war of words, but a new report claims that they are close to reaching a behind-the-scenes agreement …

The controversy over Apple removing ICEBlock from the App Store is showing no signs of ending. The latest development is a former Apple marketing veteran challenging Tim Cook on the company’s human rights values.

Wiley Hodges worked for Apple for more than 20 years, the last 15 of them as a director of marketing and product management, and he’s written an open letter to Cook expressing his dismay at the decision …

ICEBlock, an app that alerts people to sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in their area, has been removed from the App Store at the request of the US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Here are the details.

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

Apple is contacting developers about upcoming tax and price updates for a few countries, including Canada, Romania, and Brazil. Here are the details.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.