14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is reportedly taking steps to remedy a problem that iTunes customers have been facing for years: fake reviews and app ratings. The Cupertino giant is cracking down on fraudulent reviews removing the undeserved positive feedback.
The Mac maker is reportedly “intervening, in some cases at least, to remove fake App Store ratings,” according to sources close to the situation talking to Tech Crunch.
The company so far has only removed the generous ratings and the fake reviews based on tips from customers and its own investigations, but it has yet to actually pull any apps for this type of fraudulent activity.
The crackdown is happening quietly for now, as only some developers are starting to notice this happening to their apps, while others continue to reap the benefits of the broken review system to this day.
By not pulling the apps altogether, Apple is doing itself and customers a huge disservice as fraudulent developers will probably continue to try and trick the system knowing that they won’t get slapped on the wrist if they do.
However, by removing the fraudulent apps, or even going as far as to cancel developer licenses, Apple would achieve a curated applications venue much easier. Sometimes using brute force is the only way to get things done.