Atlas VPN released a report that estimates Apple has rejected almost one million apps from their App Store since 2020, due to privacy violations. They analyzed Apple’s annual App Store fraud prevention reports to generate this estimate of 958,000 rejected apps from being accepted onto its store.
Apple has seen an exponentially increasing rate of apps rejected for violating privacy. In 2020 alone, they rejected 215,000 applications due to violations; that figure rose significantly in 2021 and 2022 (from 325,000 apps rejected to over 400,000 rejected for privacy violations).
Apple maintains an extensive privacy policy that prohibits apps from collecting or sharing user data without their express consent, and requires them to disclose what data they gather and its intended use.
Apple’s stringent privacy policies are highly lauded by privacy advocates; however, some developers have voiced criticism against it for being too restrictive.
Apple remains committed to protecting user privacy despite mounting criticism, and remains staunchly against easing its policies in this area.
Here are some reasons Apple rejected apps:
- Collect or share user data without consent
- Do not disclose what data they collect and how they use it
- Contains malware or other malicious code
- Is not functional or does not meet Apple’s standards
- Is a duplicate of another app
Developers whose apps have been rejected from Apple’s App Store can appeal their decision, though Apple does have a high rejection rate so it is wise to ensure your app meets all their criteria prior to submitting it for consideration.