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Apple ’s App Store is n’t always as trustworthy as the company take . The late example total fromRockAuto , an machine part dealer pop with home mechanics and other DIYers , which is upset that a bogus app masquerading as its official app has not been withdraw from the App Store , despite numerous complaints to Apple .
RockAuto co - founding father and president Jim Taylor was first alerted to the place when client began complaining about “ annoying ads ” in its app — something he said “ surprised us since we do n’t have an app . ”
“ We discovered someone placed an app in the Apple App Store using our logotype and company data — but with the misspellings and clumsy graphics distinctive of phishing dodge , ” he told TechCrunch .
On close inspection , the fake appdoesn’t smell very legit , but it ’s easy to see how someone could be slang . Its App Store simulacrum show a photograph of a truck with the word “ Heading ” across the image as if a template was hastily used and the work was bare . In addition , despite being titled “ RockAuto ” on the App Store , the app refers to itself as “ RackAuto ” throughout its App Store verbal description .
What ’s more , it promises customers that “ Your secrecy is a top precedence ” and that “ all your datum is securely stored and encrypted , giving you peace of creative thinker . ” That ’s not belike , given the nature of this app .
The exit is not only concerning because of the app ’s ability to frivol away at least some portion of RockAuto ’s client but also because it undermines Apple ’s messaging about how the App Store is a sure and good market place — which is why it demands a cutting off of developers ’ in - app purchase proceedings . The tech giant has been fight back against regulations like the EU ’s Digital Markets Act ( DMA ) , byclaiming these lawswould compromise customer safety and privacy . Apple believes that customers will be at peril if they conduct business outside its App Store with strange parties . But , as these case show , spoiled actors can too easy infiltrate its own app market as well .
Apple has so far ignored RockAuto ’s requests to murder the simulated app , which were all sent through right channels , consort to documentation the company shared with TechCrunch .
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While searching for a solution to this problem , RockAuto hail acrossour insurance coverage of a similar situation with LastPass . The countersign manager was also the victim of a similar scheme when a simulated app make to be LastPass was live on the App Store for weeks . LastPass finally had to admonish its customers publicly in a blog post , as Apple had not yet have the fake app down until after the press insurance coverage and LastPass ’s own berth went live .
Apple did n’t reply to requests for comment at the time . The troupe was n’t immediately available for requests for comment about RockAuto ’s complaint either .
Apple pulled a bastard app masquerading as password manager LastPass from the App Store
Taylor says that RockAuto ’s Customer Service manager initially reach out to Apple to correct the situation . When he did n’t get a response , Taylor got call for .
“ It ’s mostly one - way since the only replies we ’ve had from Apple are ‘ you should n’t have email , go use the online form ’ and ‘ upload blind mark of the app store listing and your stylemark enrolment , ’ ” Taylor explains , both of which RockAuto had already done , its documentation indicates .
“ Neither the uploaded document nor the online conformation submissions farm any response at all , ” Taylor noted , “ not even the anticipate ‘ case telephone number in 24 hours ’ despite multiple submissions , ” he said .
Since filing the complaint on April 18 , 2024 , RockAuto has portion out its trademark enrollment with Apple , e-mail the party , called the number ply on Apple ’s right of first publication infringement page , sent a DMCA Takedown request and fill out Apple ’s required build .
It has not obtain anything other than automated responses and thefake app remains liveas of the time of publishing .
Update , 4/29/24 : The company has now informed TechCrunch the fake app was move out . After issue of our clause , and attempts to reach Apple , RockAuto received an email from Apple that the infringing app was being claim down later in the day on Friday .
“ After weeks of ignoring us , Apple took down the fake app just hr after your article appeared , ” Taylor told us .
Apple ’s reluctant , punitive compliance with regulators will burn its political and developer goodwill
