MacRumors

Starting with iOS and iPadOS 14.5, Apple will proxy Google's "Safe Browsing" service used in Safari through its own servers instead of relying on Google as a way to limit which personal data Google sees about users.

Safari on iOS and iPadOS includes a built-in feature called "Fraudulent Website Warning." As Apple describes it, having the feature enabled will prompt Safari to warn users if they're visiting a suspected phishing website, or in other words, a website attempting to steal your data such as username, passwords, and other information.

In order to provide this feature, Apple relies on Google's "Safe Browsing," a database/blocklist of websites crawled by Google of websites that it deems to be suspected phishing or scam. In practice Google sends Safari a list of hashed prefixes of URLs that it determines to be malicious/phishing, Safari then checks the website you're trying to visit against the list from Google. Any match in hashed prefix will cause Safari to request the full URL link from Google, and by using the hashed prefix, Google never sees the website's URL you're trying to go to.

While Google doesn't know which specific URL you're trying to visit, it may collect your IP address during its interaction with Safari. Now on iOS/iPadOS 14.5, that's no longer the case. As confirmed by the Head of Engineering for WebKit, Apple will now proxy Google's Safe Browsing feature through its own servers instead of Google as a way to "limit the risk of information leak."

Screenshots posted on Reddit of incoming/outgoing connections on a device running the latest iOS 14.5 beta shows a new "proxy.safebrowsing.apple" URL, and testing by MacRumors shows the same URL alongside "safebrowsing.g.applimg.com" and "token.safebrowsing.apple" being used to proxy "Safe Browsing."

The new change in iOS and iPadOS is part of a comprehensive set of privacy-focused features for the iPhone and iPad and Apple's recent forceful push towards more stringent privacy features/rules. In addition to the change in "Safe Browsing," iOS 14.5 will also require apps to asks for user's permission before tracking them across other apps and websites.

The new requirement called "ATT" or App Tracking Transparency has caused companies such as Facebook and Twitter to voice concerns about how the new feature will impact their bottom-line, specifically when it comes to personalized advertising.

Another noteworthy feature in the upcoming update is crowdsource reporting for accidents, speed traps, and hazards within Apple Maps. Apple released the first beta to developers and public beta testers last week and says that iOS and iPadOS 14.5 will roll out to the public in the "early spring."

Though Google has promised to update its suite of apps with App Privacy labels to comply with App Store rules that Apple began enforcing in December, many of its major apps have gone months without an update and still list no privacy information.

It's been so long since Google last updated the Gmail app, in fact, that Gmail now displays a warning that the latest security features are unavailable. As discovered by Techmeme editor Spencer Dailey, when you go to log into a new account in the Gmail app for iOS, it gives a warning that you should update and suggests that you only continue with the sign in "if you understand the risks."

Unfortunately, there is no update available for the Gmail app. Version 6.0.201115 of the Gmail app is the only available version of Gmail on the iPhone and iPad, and it hasn't been updated since December 1.

Google on January 5 claimed that it would be adding privacy data to its app catalog "this week or next week," but by January 20, most apps still had not been updated with the App Privacy labels.

Google has since quietly been adding labels to apps like YouTube, but major apps like Gmail, Google Search, Google Photos, Google Maps, and others still do not have privacy details. Even in apps that have gained with labels, there have been no feature or security updates for the most part.

It continues to be unclear why Google is taking so long to add App Privacy labels to its iOS apps, and there's no word yet on when Gmail will get an update. Google has been regularly updating its Android apps, and the last update for the Android Gmail app was released on February 9.

There has been speculation that Google is hesitant to provide the privacy label data because of the negative feedback that other companies like Facebook have received, but there's still no confirmed explanation. Dailey suggests in his blog post on the issue that Google's delay could perhaps be due to behind the scenes efforts to overhaul some of its data collection methods, and if there is indeed tweaking like that going on, it would explain why many of the main apps have yet to be updated.

App Privacy labels have been required since iOS 14.3 and are designed to provide customers with details about what data an app collects from them so they can make an informed choice when opting to install an app. App developers are required to self-report privacy information in the ‌‌App Store‌‌, and developers must identify all data collection and use cases.

Update: Google has pushed a server side update that removes the out of date warning when attempting to sign into a new account in the Gmail app.

A Northern California judge today dismissed a class action lawsuit that accused Apple of the "unlawful and intentional" recording of confidential Siri communications without user consent.

The class action lawsuit was first filed in August 2019 after it became known that Apple had employed contractors to listen to and grade some anonymized ‌Siri‌ conversations for product improvement purposes.

Those contractors told The Guardian that they overheard confidential medical details, drug deals, and other private information from accidental ‌Siri‌ activations, and some expressed concern that users were not adequately informed about the recordings.

As noted by Bloomberg, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White said that the plaintiffs in the class action case did not provide enough detail about the alleged recordings that Apple collected. The plaintiffs are required to prove that they have suffered injury from Apple's actions in a "concrete and particularized" way that's not "conjectural or hypothetical."

All of the allegations in the lawsuit were based on information that was included in the original story from The Guardian highlighting Apple's use of contractors to analyze ‌Siri‌ data, with the plaintiffs providing no proof that their own private data was accidentally collected by Apple and misused.

The Guardian article does not plausibly suggest that all Apple's devices were subject to accidental triggers and review by third party contractors, much less that such interception always occurred in reasonably private settings. The article discusses frequency of accidental triggers primarily in relation to the Apple Watch and the HomePod speakers, neither of which are owned by the Plaintiffs.

Moreover, the article expressly states that only a "small portion" of daily Siri activations including were sent to contractors and that they included both deliberate and accidental activations. Finally, although the article describes private communications among the recordings sent to contractors, Plaintiffs allege no facts to suggest that their own private communications were intercepted by accidental triggers.

Though Apple's motion to dismiss the lawsuit was granted, the judge in the case is allowing the consumers involved in the lawsuit to revise and refile within 20 days, so Apple is not in the clear as of yet.

Following the class action lawsuit and other negative public feedback, Apple temporarily suspended and overhauled its ‌Siri‌ evaluation program, and in iOS 13.2, added an option to let users delete ‌Siri‌ history and opt out of sharing audio recordings.

If you recently picked up one of the new M1 Macs that Apple released in November, or received a new Mac for the holidays, you may be in search of useful accessories to go along with it. In our latest YouTube video, we rounded up some great Mac accessories that are worth checking out.

MacRumors videographer Dan has highlighted several of his favorite Mac products, ranging from storage options to displays, docks, and more. A list of what's in the video is below.

• WaterField Designs Vero Leather MacBook Sleeve ($119) - If you have MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air and are looking for a sleeve option, the Vero from WaterField Designs has a slim fit, protective design that slips right into a bag or backpack.
• WaterField Designs Executive Messenger Bag ($379) - Looking for something more than a sleeve? The Executive Leather Messenger Bag from WaterField Designs has lots of pockets for housing all of your accessories plus there's padding for your MacBook.
• Twelve South PlugBug Duo ($50) - The Plugbug Duo is a little add-on for your MacBook charger that provides two USB-A ports that can be used for your accessories, with power provided by the MacBook power adapter.
• Twelve South ParcSlope ($60) - The ParcSlope is a stand that's designed to elevate your MacBook or iPad to a more comfortable working position, raising the screen and adding additional airflow.
• LG UltraFine 4K Display ($700) - LG's 4K 23.7-inch display is an ideal companion for Apple Macs, given that it was designed for Apple devices. It connects over Thunderbolt 3, offers up to 85W of charging power, and it has two Thunderbolt 3 ports and three USB-C ports.
• Brydge Vertical Dock ($170) - The Vertical Dock from Brydge holds your MacBook upright and is a solid docking solution for using your machine in clamshell mode. It connects via two USB-C ports, and then there are an additional two accessible ports at the back of the dock.
• 13-inch LineDock ($349) - Designed for 13-inch machines, the LineDock is a docking solution that attaches to the bottom of your MacBook. It adds extra battery life and up to 1TB storage, plus it has 100W passthrough charging and a total of nine ports including HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, SD card slot, USB-A and USB-C options.
• Aukey PowerZeus 500 ($460) - If you need power for your devices in an emergency or while off the grid, Aukey's PowerZeus 500 offers a 518Wh capacity that can charge up a MacBook several times with enough juice left over for other devices. There's also the smaller Power Titan 300 if you don't need quite as much power.

What are your favorite Mac accessories that you would recommend to others? Let us know in the comments.

The North Dakota Senate this week introduced a new bill that would prevent Apple and Google from requiring developers to use their respective app stores and payment methods, paving the way for alternative app store options, reports The Bismarck Tribune.

According to Senator Kyle Davison, who introduced Senate Bill 2333 yesterday, the legislation is designed to "level the playing field" for app developers in North Dakota and shield customers from "devastating, monopolistic fees imposed by big tech companies," which refers to the cut that Apple and Google take from developers.

Specifically, the bill would prevent Apple from requiring a developer to use a digital application distribution platform as the exclusive mode of distributing a digital product, and it would keep the company from requiring developers to use in-app purchases as the exclusive mode of accepting payment from a user. There's also wording preventing Apple from retaliating against developers who choose alternate distribution and payment methods.

Apple Chief Privacy Engineer Erik Neuenschwander spoke out against the bill, saying that it "threatens to destroy the iPhone as you know it" by requiring changes that would "undermine the privacy, security, safety, and performance" of the ‌iPhone‌.

Neuenschwander said that Apple "works hard" to keep bad apps from the App Store, and North Dakota's bill would "require us to let them in."

Apple does not allow apps to be installed on iOS devices outside of the ‌App Store‌ and there are no alternate app store options that are available. Apple reviews every app that is made available for its customers to download, something that would not happen with a third-party app store option.

Apple also does not let app developers accept payments through methods other than in-app purchase except in select situations, a policy that has led to Apple's legal fight with Epic Games. ‌Epic Games‌ added an alternate payment method to Fortnite last year, leading the app to be banned from the ‌App Store‌.

Basecamp co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson, who was also embroiled in a legal fight with Apple over email app "HEY" last year, testified in favor of SB 2333 and said that it gives him hope that "tech monopolies aren't going to rule the world forever."

In 2020, Apple faced a U.S. antitrust inquiry into its ‌App Store‌ fees and policies, which resulted in a 450 page report calling for new antitrust laws focused on promoting fair competition in digital markets, strengthening laws related to mergers and monopolization, and restoring vigorous oversight and enforcement of antitrust law.

No federal legislation has been introduced as of yet, and the North Dakota Senate committee did not take action on the bill. Senator Jerry Klein said that there's "still some mulling to be done" in reference to the bill.

Apple today informed developers about some upcoming pricing changes for apps and in-app purchases in Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Germany, and South Korea, with Apple introducing a new VAT in some countries and adjusting pricing in others.

Apple says that when taxes or foreign exchange rates change, prices on the App Store in certain regions and some proceeds need to be adjusted. In Zimbabwe and Cameroon, proceeds will be adjusted and proceeds will be calculated based on the tax-exclusive price.

• Cameroon - New value-added tax of 19.25%
• Zimbabwe - New value-added tax of 14.5%

In Germany and South Korea, prices of apps and in-app purchases are increasing, but auto-renewable subscription prices will remain the same.

• Germany - Value-added tax rate reversion to 19% after temporary decrease to 16%. ‌App Store‌ pricing will not change.
• South Korea - Prices of alternative tiers for apps and in-app purchases (excluding auto-renewable subscriptions) will be adjusted to allow for additional locally relevant pricing conventions.

When the changes go into effect, the Pricing and Availability section of My Apps for developers will be updated, and app pricing can be changed any time using ‌App Store‌ Connect. Full pricing changes are available on Apple's site. [PDF]

Designer Antonio De Rosa has created 3D renders of Apple's long-rumored mixed-reality headset based on recent reports about the device, giving the first photorealistic look at the mysterious Apple device.

De Rosa tentatively titles Apple's mixed-reality headset device the "Apple View," but there has been no evidence that this is the company's chosen moniker. What Apple may call the device remains pure speculation. Nevertheless, in terms of design, the render appears to have carefully considered many of the points put forwards by recent reports about the device, which have proliferated in recent months as it edges closer to production.

The main inspiration for the render is clearly the basic sketch provided by The Information, which said that it had seen internal Apple images of a "late-stage prototype" late last year. If the images seen by The Information are correct, De Rosa's renders may offer the most reliable look yet at the design of Apple's mixed-reality headset.

The Information described the headset's design as a "sleek, curved visor attached to the face by a mesh material and swappable headbands." The report claimed that the headbands will be offered in a variety of colors, which De Rosa has rendered. A headband containing batteries to extend the headset's battery life, as well as one with speakers for Spatial Audio from AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, are also believed to be undergoing tests.

The Information also said that Apple's headset will be equipped with more than a dozen cameras and JP Morgan has speculated that the device will include various LiDAR scanners, much like the iPad Pro or the iPhone 12 Pro. De Rosa appears to have included these in his render.

While these cameras and scanners are believed to be used to track users' hand movements, one of the main features of the headset is understood to be the ability to pass video of the real world through the visor and display it to the user, creating a "mixed-reality effect." Bloomberg's Mark Gurman described the headset as follows:

As a mostly virtual reality device, it will display an all-encompassing 3-D digital environment for gaming, watching video and communicating. AR functionality, the ability to overlay images and information over a view of the real world, will be more limited.

The headset is said to contain two ultra-high-resolution 8K displays and advanced eye-tracking technology. Since the device is too compact to allow users to wear glasses, Bloomberg explained that Apple has developed a system in which custom prescription lenses can be inserted into the headset over the displays.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that Apple will reveal an augmented reality device this year, and according to JP Morgan, the device will launch in the first quarter of 2022. The headset is expected to be priced around $3,000, competing with the likes of Microsoft's HoloLens 2, which costs $3,500.

Visit De Rosa's website to see his full selection of product renders, one of which was among the first depictions of the Apple Watch from 2012.

In a wide-ranging interview with CNN Business, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, says that his company spent months preparing its lawsuit against Apple, which is internally codenamed "Project Liberty."

Epic launched an all-out assault against Apple after it removed Fortnite from the App Store in August after the app implemented a direct payment method for in-app purchases. App Store policy requires all apps to use its own system for in-app purchases which gives Apple a 30% commission for all purchases made. Epic's refusal to comply with the policy resulted in the app getting kicked from the platform.

Sweeney says in his interview that Epic "spent months" developing and preparing its lawsuit against Apple, which was notably launched and announced publicly within hours of Fortnite's removal from the ‌App Store‌.

Internally, Epic calls the lawsuit "Project Liberty," clearly echoing the idea that the lawsuit is meant to open up Apple's platforms further for smaller developers, hence providing them "liberty". Despite the focus of the lawsuit being the ‌App Store‌'s 30% commission policy, Sweeney says it actually comes down to the idea that he believes open platforms are "the key to free markets and the future of computing".

Developers have been questioning whether the 30% commission is a fair price for developers to pay back to Apple, given, for example, that ‌Epic Games‌ made $1.3 billion from Fortnite in-game purchases in 2020.

‌Epic Games‌ had a valuation of $17.3 billion at the end of last year, and on the financial front, Sweeney says Epic has "the financial independence" to conduct its suit against Apple and Google, largely thanks to the fact that ‌Epic Games‌ is not a publicly listed company.

When pressed for specifics on how much its lawsuit against Apple was costing Epic, Sweeney refused to reply, simply saying it is consuming "lots and lots" of time from company leadership. It's clear, however, that with millions of Apple users unable to play Fortnite on their devices, the company is likely experiencing some financial struggle given iOS users have generated more than $1.2 billion in revenue for Epic since it launched on the platform, according to Sensor Tower data cited by CNN Business.

All in all, however, Sweeney says the struggles are worth it due to the fear that the future of platforms such as the ‌App Store‌ will be completely dominated by platform owners like Apple, and have no other developers on them.

"[The companies] will just do that industry by industry and app category by app category until they've gobbled up everything that matters. And who will be left?" said Sweeney. "A million indie developers who collectively together make a small percentage of revenues on the app store because these businesses are too small to be attractive to steal."

Lastly, Sweeney addresses controversial comments he made in November in which he stated that the fight for civil rights and Epic's fight for platform "liberty" are similar. The comments caused widespread backlash, and in response, Sweeney says he believes "it's perfectly healthy" to draw similarities between "vital causes in the history of the world" and the fight on app platforms.

"The point is if you really want to make a difference, you have to buck the system," Sweeney said in response to the criticism. "I think there's a lot we can learn from any of the past struggles in humanity and I think it's perfectly healthy to apply struggles from vital causes in the history of the world to struggles over smaller issues like software platforms."

Most recently, ‌Epic Games‌ filed a complaint against Apple in the UK, claiming that Apple's removal of Fortnite from the ‌App Store‌ was "unlawful" and seeking for the app to be reinstated. The UK complaint followed in the footsteps of Epic's agreements in the United State and Australia. In all countries, Epic says it's not asking for damages from Apple and is simply seeking "fair access and competition that will benefit all consumers". Both companies are preparing to face off in court in July of this year.

A security researcher was able to breach the internal systems of over 35 major companies, including Apple, Microsoft, and PayPal, using a software supply chain attack (via Bleeping Computer).

Security researcher Alex Birsan was able to exploit a unique design flaw in some open-source ecosystems called "dependency confusion" to attack the systems of companies such as Apple, Microsoft, PayPal, Shopify, Netflix, Yelp, Tesla, and Uber.

The attack involved uploading malware to open source repositories including PyPI, npm, and RubyGems, which were then automatically distributed downstream into the various companies' internal applications. Victims automatically received the malicious packages, with no social engineering or trojans required.

Birsan was able to create counterfeit projects using the same names on open-source repositories, each containing a disclaimer message, and found that applications would automatically pull public dependency packages, without needing any action from the developer. In some cases, such as with PyPI packages, any package with a higher version would be prioritized regardless of wherever it was located. This enabled Birsan to successfully attack the software supply chain of multiple companies.

Upon verifying that his component had successfully infiltrated the corporate network, Birsan reported his findings to the company in question, and some rewarded him with a bug bounty. Microsoft awarded him its highest bug bounty amount of $40,000 and released a white paper on this security issue, while Apple told BleepingComputer that Birsan will receive a reward via the Apple Security Bounty program for responsibly disclosing the issue. Birsan has now earned over $130,000 through bug bounty programs and pre-approved penetration testing arrangements.

A full explanation of the methodology behind the attack is available at Alex Birsan's Medium page.

Ohio State University today announced that it is opening its Swift Coding and App Development program to the public, giving anyone the chance to learn and code for the App Store.

In a press release (via CNET), the university says that more than 3,000 students, faculty, and alumni have joined the program since it launched slightly more than one year ago, and that now anyone can join the courses online from anywhere in the world.

The university offers four separate self-paced courses that make use of Apple's open-source programing language Swift, Apple's coding curriculum, and Xcode to develop apps for Apple platforms. The two final courses yet have to be detailed, but the first course with two modules, called "Swift Coding and App Development," costs $350 for the estimated 180 hours of work, and has the following description:

From the basics of Swift and Xcode to the coding communities that surround you, this Level 1 course will provide you the foundational knowledge to start building and creating apps. Debugging, problem-solving, basic interface design and connections to external fields will also be covered.

Once completing what Ohio State has to offer, participants can go on to obtain Apple's App Development with Swift certification. Ohio State director of learning programs and Digital Flagship Cory Tressler says that app coding and development serves as a foundation for future learning and innovation in the digital world, emphasizing the ability for anyone regardless of background to learn to code.

"This coding and app development certificate program allows anyone, regardless of their background or prior knowledge with coding, the opportunity to learn a tangible, applicable digital skill that will not only provide them immediate skills to utilize and explore, but also a foundation for future learning, innovation and creativity in the digital world."

Ohio State is one of many universities and colleges offering lessons and courses based on Apple's programming language and platform. As developers serve as the bedrock for Apple's product experience, Apple often works closely on updating its curriculum to ensure the next generation of developers are learning and getting ready to develop apps. More details about Ohio State courses can be found on Ohio State's course catalog.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been featured on the cover of Outside magazine, and talked health and wellness in a recent interview with the publication.

Cook said that Apple Park is "like working in a national park," with a design that "brings the outside in and the inside out."

"You would see people riding bikes from one meet­ing to another," said Cook, referring to the typical Apple Park workday prior to the pandemic. "You would see people running. It's a two-and-a-half-mile track around the place, so put in a couple of laps and you've got a good workout for the day."

"We all know intuitively, and now with research, that physical activity is a key part of longevity and quality of life," Cook added, reiterating that Apple's greatest contribution to mankind will likely be in the health and wellness space.

The interview builds on Cook's appearance on an Outside magazine podcast episode last month, where he discussed similar topics. On that podcast, Cook teased that Apple is testing "mind blowing" capabilities for the Apple Watch, although not everything will see the light of day. "Think about the amount of sensors in your car," said Cook, adding "and arguably, your body is much more important than your car."

Apple has gradually expanded the health features available on the Apple Watch over the years to include heart rate tracking, irregular heart rhythm notifications, the ECG app, blood oxygen measuring, fall detection, and more. Rumors suggest that Apple is also aiming to add non-invasive blood glucose monitoring to the next Apple Watch.

Google today announced that "Google News Showcase," a new style of displaying the news within the Google and Google News mobile apps and website, has launched in the UK and Argentina, following an Australian rollout last week.

Google says News Showcase offers participating publishers the chance to provide more context for stories such as through bullet points and timelines, and it has plans for supporting audio, video, and "daily briefings" in the future, directly within the Google and Google News apps on iOS and Android.

In Argentina, Google says it has partnered with 40 publishers including Clarin, La Nación, Perfil, Crónica, Cronista, El Economista, Diario Río Negro, El Día, La Gaceta, and El Litoral. In the UK, Google has inked deals with The Financial Times, The Telegraph, Reuters, and more than 120 other publishers to offer this new panel experience to users.

Google announced News Showcase in October of last year with a commitment to invest $1 billion in partnerships with publishers and "the future of news." Google describes News Showcase as a way for users to get more insight into stories and "helps publishers develop deeper relationships with their audiences."

As part of the partnership and investment with publishers, Google says users will be able to view "select" paywall content, but doesn't specify what it means by "select." In general, the overall approach from Google bears some resemblances to Apple's own Apple News+ service.

Apple, like Google, has signed partnerships with some of the world's largest publishers to offer subscribers otherwise-paywalled articles within the ‌Apple News‌ app. Unlike ‌Apple News‌+ however, Google is not offering users all of a publisher's paywalled content, and while News Showcase remains free, ‌Apple News‌+ comes with a $9.99 monthly price tag.

Google says that its approach to news curation is different than others because it "leans on the editorial choices individual publishers make about which stories to show readers and how to present them." Apple has faced criticism for its approach to ‌Apple News‌+ largely from The New York Times, which pulled out of the service entirely last year, because Apple's service does not "align with its strategy of building direct relationships with paying readers."

Google News Showcase is now available in more than a dozen countries including Germany, Brazil, Canada, and France, with 450 partnered publications, and is available via the Google News app, Google app, and the Google News website.

YouTube's website appears to support picture-in-picture (PiP) again in the latest iOS 14.5 beta for iPhone, although how long it will continue to work for is anybody's guess.

Tests show it works in Safari as well as third-party browsers like Chrome and Firefox by expanding a video to play fullscreen, and then tapping the small picture-in-picture icon in the top-left of the interface.

Then you can minimize the browser and use other apps while continuing to watch the video in a frame that can be moved around the screen or slid out of sight if you just want to listen to the audio.

Apple added PiP support to the iPhone with the release of iOS 14, which allowed users to watch videos on YouTube's website as well as on a host of other websites in the miniaturized format.

Following the release of iOS 14 in September, YouTube moved quickly to nix the ability to watch videos in PiP mode on its website unless the user logged in with a YouTube Premium subscription. In early October, however, YouTube mysteriously restored PiP support for videos on its website.

Then, only days later, support once again vanished.

It's not clear what has caused YouTube website PiP support to be reinstated in the latest iOS 14.5 beta, but it's likely that changes in Apple's system-level code has broken whatever method YouTube implemented on its website to make the feature non-functional.

If that's the case, there's good reason to believe that YouTube will move to disable the support yet again.

YouTube's native app has never supported PiP for any of its users even though iOS 14 has offered the capability for some time. There have been reports that YouTube has been testing this feature, but there have been no announcements.

Apple has apologized to the developer of an app meant to promote the Indigenous language Sm'algyax after he was falsely accused of dishonest and fraudulent acts, and as a result, had the app removed from the App Store.

Brendan Eshom, a member of the Ts'msyen First Nation community, developed and published "Sm'algyax Word" on both Google Play and the ‌App Store‌ this past July. The app serves as a dictionary for phrases and words from Sm'algyaxm archived from FirstVoices.com, and at its core is meant to preserve the language for generations to come.

However, the app was unexpectedly removed from the ‌App Store‌ when it acquired around 600 downloads, pushing it to the top charts in the Education category. Eshom says that he received an automated email from Apple informing him that his developer account would be terminated due to "dishonest and fraudulent" acts that go against Apple's terms and conditions.

Eshom told Global News that it's "definitely concerning when Apple is accusing you of committing fraud" and said that he attempted to reach out to Apple for an explanation for his termination, but his attempts were unsuccessful. The freshmen college student ultimately decided to contact Consumer Matter, a segment from Global News in which companies and corporations are pressed for answers, to try and get Apple to respond to the situation.

Apple responded in a statement to Consumer Matters, explaining that the termination of Eshom's developer account was a mistake and that his app about the Sm'algyax language showcased "how technology can be used to bridge cultural understanding." Apple goes on to apologize to Eshom and promises to improve its processes to ensure it does not happen again.

Maintaining the integrity of the App Store is a responsibility we take seriously to ensure the safety of our customers and give every developer a platform to share their brightest ideas with the world. Unfortunately, this developer's app, which is a great example of how technology can be used to bridge cultural understanding, was mistakenly removed from the App Store.

We regret this error and apologize to Mr. Eshom for the inconvenience this caused him. We have since reinstated his developer account and app, and will continue our efforts to improve our processes to ensure this does not happen again.

Just this week new questions started to circulate following the revelation that scam apps on the ‌App Store‌ continue to enjoy millions in revenue. Apple states that apps that attempt to trick users or engage in "scam practices" will be removed from the ‌App Store‌, however many still remain.

The contrast between Eshom's case, where a completely innocent app was removed from the ‌App Store‌, and the case of scam apps roaming rogue on the platform highlights recent concerns that Apple's losing grip with implementing and maintaining an effective moderation policy.