Apple removes app from its app store over claims of 1,000 fake reviews

Dash app removed and its creators Apple Developer account suspended in response

Apple has removed an app from its iOS app store and terminated its creator's Apple Develop account over claims that the developer had boosted the apparent popularity of its app with almost 1,000 ‘fake' positive reviews.

The developer claims that the reviews were posted by a third-party for whom he had paid for an Apple Developer membership.

In a blog posting, the developer claimed: "What I've done: three-to-four years ago I helped a relative get started by paying for her Apple's Developer Program Membership using my credit card.

"I also handed her test hardware that I no longer needed. From then on those accounts were linked in the eyes of Apple. Once that account was involved with review manipulation, my account was closed.

"I was not aware my account was linked to another until Apple contacted me Friday, 2 days after closing my account. I was never notified of any kind of wrongdoing before my account was terminated," he claimed.

He claims that Apple demanded in a phone call that he write a blog post admitting his wrong-doing before it would restore his developer account and app to the app store. However, he claims that Apple has ignored this.

"I have complied with Apple's request and have sent a blog post draft approximately 30 minutes after this phone call ended. I have since not received any contact from Apple in any way, and they did not respond to my calls. Their recent statements come as a shock as I thought we were working together to resolve this issue," he concluded.

But in a statement issued to Loop Insight, Apple claimed that the developer had filed a series of "fraudulent reviews" across both accounts.

"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, told The Loop via a statement.

He continued: "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."