Apple Says 1,000 Fraudulent Reviews Were Detected Across Two Accounts Owned by 'Dash' Developer [Update: Developer Responds]

[MacRumors]

Last week, popular API documentation browser Dash was removed from the App Store after Apple accused Dash's developer of fraudulent conduct and claimed he manipulated App Store reviews.

At the time, the developer denied the accusations and garnered the support of Dash app users who believed there had been a mix up and that he was not guilty, but Apple today provided more information to justify its position and the app's removal from the App Store.

In statements given to iMore and The Loop, Apple says the developer owned two accounts with 25 apps, which had nearly 1,000 fake reviews. Both fraudulent positive reviews for his own apps and negative reviews for competing apps were involved.

"Almost 1,000 fraudulent reviews were detected across two accounts and 25 apps for this developer so we removed their apps and accounts from the App Store," Apple spokesperson, Tom Neumayr, said in a statement provided to The Loop on Monday.

"Warning was given in advance of the termination and attempts were made to resolve the issue with the developer but they were unsuccessful. We will terminate developer accounts for ratings and review fraud, including actions designed to hurt other developers. This is a responsibility that we take very seriously, on behalf of all of our customers and developers."

According to The Loop's Jim Dalrymple, Apple first sent a warning to the developer behind Dash two years ago and attempted to work with him "for some time" to put a stop to the App Store fraud. The behavior did not stop, leading to the account's termination last week.

Dash's developer specifically denied having been involved in App Store review manipulation in the blog post announcing Dash's removal from the App Store, but Apple has been adamant that fraud took place. Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller even got involved, confirming to a concerned developer that ratings and review fraud had led to the app's removal.

Apple's decision is final and there is no further appeals process, according to Dash's developer, who has yet to respond to the information Apple has provided today. Dash for iOS is unlikely to return to the iOS App Store, but Dash for Mac remains available outside of the Mac App Store.

Update: The developer behind Dash has shared his side of the story, placing the blame on a relative whose Apple Developer Program Membership he paid for.

He says he was not aware his account was linked to another until Friday and that he was not notified about any wrongdoing. He has shared a recorded phone conversation in which Apple says it will reactivate his account if he makes a blog post stating the truth that his account had been linked to an account with fraudulent activity.

Article Link: Apple Says 1,000 Fraudulent Reviews Were Detected Across Two Accounts Owned by 'Dash' Developer [Update: Developer Responds]

 

[farewelwilliams]

yet, FDG Mobile Games continue to release apps with these 5 star reviews for the past few years.

probably a huge money maker for Apple, so they don't look into these.

 

[acegreen]

Oh things are becoming saucy! Prepare the popcorn

Developer seems to have known about this for 2 years now, can't play that innocence game. Though I still think there should always be an appeal option

 

[Smith288]

Busted!

 

[Kaibelf]

yet, FDG Mobile Games continue to release apps with these 5 star reviews for the past few years.

Then report the concerns instead of asking everyone to lower the bar across the board.

That said, it's a shame the developer had to make a spectacle of this only to be proven to be a liar. It's also a shame that several MR users felt the need to compare Apple with people like the Nazis simply because they happened to use an app. The people who went crazy with the histrionics really should look in the mirror and ask themselves why they were comfortable resorting to such complete and utter nonsense.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

GOT EM!!!!

 

[ShinySteelRobot]

Why didn't Apple simply come out and say this at the beginning? It would have saved a lot of angst among other developers who feared that their apps could be targeted by a malicious competitor.

Everyone was worried that a competing company could simply pay a firm in India or wherever to post favorable ads for your app, then *boom* your app is suddenly deleted from the App Store, and your competitors have less competition....all with no appeal process from Apple.

Sounds like this didn't happen. Whew.

 

[craig1410]

How bizarre for the developer of a successful app to feel the need to resort to fraudulent reviews and yet Apple's stance on this seems very robust indeed, suggesting they are 100% confident in their decision.

 

[vertsix]

Sad!

 

[Quu]

Be interesting to see what he says to refute this.

 

[sutherland]

I use Dash and love the app, I still have a hard time believing the developer needed to or had time to do this. I wonder if another developer trying to boost their rating mistakenly wrote a script that targeted the wrong app?

 

[MrX8503]

If the developer did nothing wrong and was being honest then explain to Apple and get the app reinstated. Those would have been the proper steps.

 

[Z400Racer37]

#GotEem

 

[keysofanxiety]

Why didn't Apple simply come out and say this at the beginning?

Because this isn't the sort of thing that should be publicised. Besides, it was the developer who made the fuss about it, not Apple. Now he's proven to have his hand in the cookie jar.

Didn't stop people previously jumping to conclusions, of course. And what conclusions they were.

 

[mtneer]

I am not a lawyer - but can this become a first amendment case?

 

[Small White Car]

I use Dash and love the app, I still have a hard time believing the developer needed to or had time to do this. I wonder if another developer trying to boost their rating mistakenly wrote a script that targeted the wrong app?

Then why didn't the Dash developer go public 2 years ago with a blog titled "Holy %#@# you won't believe what Apple thinks I'm doing!" ?

 

[oliversl]

Apple should prove that the reviews were coming from the developer IP. Maybe there is a bug or its a case of impersonation. Lets hear that developer again.

 

[usarioclave]

"I've been hacked!"

 

[abhibeckert]

I am not a lawyer - but can this become a first amendment case?

It can only be a first amendment issue if Apple was a government department (or at least subcontractor).

 

[manu chao]

Why didn't Apple simply come out and say this at the beginning? It would have saved a lot of angst among other developers who feared that their apps could be targeted by a malicious competitor.

It was the developer that came out publicly first. Did Macrumors hold their article for a couple of days to give Apple to possibility to reply? I don't think so.

 

[firewood]

So what are the other 23 apps? I only see 2 on App Shopper. Maybe they weren't as high quality as Dash?

 

[citysnaps]

How bizarre for the developer of a successful app to feel the need to resort to fraudulent reviews and yet Apple's stance on this seems very robust indeed, suggesting they are 100% confident in their decision.

That begs the question of how it was determined that Dash was a "successful" app, to begin with. Was it due to the large number of fraudulent positive reviews, perhaps?

 

[Count Blah]

I am not a lawyer - but can this become a first amendment case?

I dont' see how. This a company owned service, it's not the street corner nor your own home.

Somewhere in the vast array of EULAs, there is something stating that this can happen as a result of gaming the system.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Apple should prove that the reviews were coming from the developer IP. Maybe there is a bug or its a case of impersonation. Lets hear that developer again.

But that isn't the sort of thing Apple would overlook. Phil looked into this personally. It's a well known app. It's an app people readily recommend.

They'd know the media headlines as a result of this decision. It's not something they would have whimsically decided.

And this isn't in Apple's court to prove. It's their store. Their rules. The only reason we know about the situation is because the developer cried about it.

 

[sutherland]

Then why didn't the Dash developer go public 2 years ago with a blog titled "Holy %#@# you won't believe what Apple thinks I'm doing!" ?

Well Apple says he had two accounts, it could be only the apps on the second account were having reviews manipulated and only that account warned. If it wasn't really him, he wouldn't have known.

I think both parties need to release more details before I know who to believe.