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The Apple App Store—being the only destination for Apple users seeking to download apps—continues to be secure as Apple maintains its stance against sideloading and its rigorous app screening protocols and security measures. Apple has claimed that the App Store turned away 1.7 million app submissions—effectively preventing fraudulent transactions that amounted to a whopping $2 billion throughout 2022.

Apple, in 2022, got rid of 4,28,000 developer accounts and 282 million customer accounts that were involved with fraud and customer abuse. Apple also blocked 198 million fraudulent accounts before they were even fully created.

Further, it protected users from nearly 57,000 untrustworthy apps from illegitimate storefronts, “which do not have the same built-in privacy and security protections as the App Store.” Apple notes that these “unauthorized marketplaces “distribute dangerous software that are designed to imitate popular apps—without the consent of developers.

As for app submissions, the Cupertino-based tech giant claims that it performs a number of safety checks on each app before it is available on the App Store. 

“During the development stage, Xcode systematically inspects apps to certify they are using authorised technologies and to make sure the app meets minimum requirements for the App Store,” Apple said.

“After a developer uploads their app to App Store Connect, additional checks are run to verify it does not reference private APIs and is free of known malware. Once in review, each submission is carefully looked at by a member of the App Review team to ensure it meets Apple’s standards of quality and safety,” it added.

By providing App Review support, Apple helped more than 1,85,000 developers launch their apps on the App Store out of a massive 6.1 million app submissions. Apple’s App Review system detected apps with harmful code and with the capability to hijack users’ credentials from other services. The company also exposed apps that pretended to be “harmless financial management platforms” but could change into a malicious, completely different app.

In 2022, the App Store handled over an astonishing 1 billion ratings and reviews, and prevented nearly 3.9 million stolen credit cards from being used for fraudulent purchases, and prohibited 7,14,000 accounts from making any further transactions.

In total, the company stopped a total of $2.09 billion in fraudulent transactions on the App Store in 2022.

“Apple takes credit card fraud extremely seriously, and remains committed to protecting the App Store and its users from this kind of stress. For example, with Apple Pay, credit card numbers are never shared with merchants, thus eliminating a risk factor in the payment transaction process,” Apple said.