Specialists from the British company Sophos warned about the presence in the Apple App Store of the so-called fleeceware applications, which charge users money even after they are deleted. Currently, over 3.5 million iOS device users have installed these apps, exploiting legal loopholes in the iOS free trial mechanism.
The Google Play Store and Apple App Store allow developers to create apps with a free trial period. Users can install them and sign up for the trial by giving the programs permission to charge the user account. After the trial period expires, funds are automatically withdrawn from the card, allowing you to continue using the application.
The App Store Policy allows developers to set their own trial cancellation steps. Some people do not even perceive uninstalling the application as canceling the trial period, forcing users to go through complicated procedures. Fleeceware applications abuse this mechanism and charge users even after uninstallation.
“Most of these applications are image editors, horoscopes, QR and barcode scanners, and applications for adding filters and elements to selfies,” the experts noted.
Researchers have identified 32 iOS apps charging up to $ 30 per month or $ 9 per week for simple features (see the Sophos blog for a full list of apps) that are usually available for free. The analysis showed that applications relied heavily on online advertising to attract users, although in fact they could not even provide the simplest functions.
However, the apps are still available for download in the app stores. Experts speculate that Apple is allowing this behavior as the company charges a commission on all app purchases.
