Apple let in a “substandard” application on Mac-Information Technology

Although it prides itself on the process of testing apps before allowing them to be posted to the App Store, it seems that Apple is still letting some sub-standard apps make users uncomfortable.

Developer Kosta Eleftheriou, known for detecting rogue apps that pass our checks Applerecently discovered a group of applications appearing on the Mac’s App Store.

The first application called My Metronome was discovered by another software engineer named Edoardo Vacchi. According to Vacchi, Eleftheriou, and user reviews on the App Store, the app doesn’t allow users to close the app with a keyboard shortcut or menu bar unless they agree to a $9.99/month subscription. However, users can still force close the application through the Activity Monitor task manager.

Eleftheriou said the developer of the My Metronome app “appears to have tested many methods to prevent users from closing the app without paying”.

After Eleftheriou tweeted about My Metronome, the app was removed from the App Store in some regions.

The Music Paradise Player app disables the default app exit option on Mac. Source: The Verge.

The story doesn’t stop here. App developer Jeff Johnson discovered that the company that publishes the My Metronome app, Music Paradise LLC, was in contact with another developer, Groove Vibes. Both organizations share the same registered location and refer to the same legal entity, Akadem GmbH.

The Verge decided to test these apps by downloading Music Paradise’s other app, Music Paradise Player, and the entire Groove Vibes Mac app. All of these apps immediately open a window asking for a paid monthly subscription.

Users can close three of Groove Vibes’ apps with the close button or the Command + Q keyboard shortcut. However, the two apps from the company, along with Music Paradise Player, both “faded” the app exit button on the menu bar and don’t allows the user to close the application with the red x button as usual or shortcut. Depending on the application, users will have to try a number of different ways to exit, such as clicking the X button on the advertising window or a small text that is difficult to recognize.

Apple has also let some applications that are deceptive or fraudulent for users to pass through a loophole in its testing process. Eleftheriou once discovered an iPhone application that cannot function properly if users do not give positive reviews, or a gambling application that hides games for children.

At the same time, Apple and CEO Tim Cook maintain the view that iPhone users should only install applications through the App Store for security reasons to avoid fraudulent applications and malicious code, and oppose proposals to force Apple to allows users to download the application through another channel (also known as sideload).