Apple pulls Freecash app
Apple removed the app Freecash from the App Store after Tom’s Guide reported the app promised users they could earn money playing mobile games and described the removal as for deception (tomsguide.com). The action is one of several recent removals that show Apple is enforcing claims and discovery behavior in the store ( ).
Apple pulled Freecash from the United States App Store on Monday, April 14, after saying the app used misleading marketing and bait-and-switch tactics. (techcrunch.com) Apple told TechCrunch the app violated App Store Review Guidelines 3.1.2(a) and 2.3.1, the rules it uses against scams and misleading app descriptions. Freecash had climbed as high as No. 2 on the U.S. App Store charts after heavy promotion on TikTok. (techcrunch.com) The pitch in many ads was simple: users could make money by scrolling TikTok. TechCrunch reported the app actually paid users to install and play mobile games, while collecting extensive personal data in the process. (techcrunch.com) Cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes said Freecash asked users survey-style questions that could reveal race, religion, sexual orientation, health information, and other sensitive details. Malwarebytes described the business as closer to a data broker matching advertisers and game publishers with likely spenders than a simple rewards app. (malwarebytes.com) That matters inside Apple’s store because Apple says every app is reviewed for privacy, security, content, and design before and after it goes live. In its 2024 App Store Transparency Report, Apple said it removed 82,509 apps in 2024 and rejected 1,931,400 submissions. (developer.apple.com; apple.com) Freecash’s removal also landed during a week of broader scrutiny over App Store policing. On April 15, the Tech Transparency Project said Apple’s search suggestions and search ads were still steering users toward so-called nudify apps that generate fake nude images. (techtransparencyproject.org; 9to5mac.com) Freecash owner Almedia disputed the criticism. A company spokesperson told TechCrunch its apps were “fully compliant” with Apple and Google policies and said some of the misleading ads were created by third-party affiliates, not the company itself. (techcrunch.com) TechCrunch also reported signs that an earlier version of Freecash had already been removed from Apple’s store in mid-2024, then resurfaced through a different app listing tied to another developer account. That detail adds to the question Apple now faces: not just why Freecash was removed, but how it stayed visible long enough to become a chart hit. (techcrunch.com)
