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Freecash reached the fig 2 spot connected the U.S. App Store charts successful January aft being heavy marketed connected TikTok. It promised users up to $35 per hr for watching TikTok content, but it was collecting swaths of idiosyncratic data. Back successful January, Wired covered Freecash's deceptive marketing, and MalwareBytes pointed retired that the app was gathering information similar race, religion, health, and biometrics, with other information harvested done mobile games that Freecash pushed users to install.
Users tricked into downloading Freecash with the committedness of escaped currency recovered that they could not gain wealth by utilizing TikTok, but alternatively were capable to gain tiny amounts of currency by playing games similar Monopoly Go and Disney Solitaire. The extremity was to propulsion users to marque in-app purchases oregon ticker paid ads successful the apps. Freecash advertised itself arsenic a level for matching crippled developers with users apt to walk wealth successful their games.
After the Wired report, TikTok pulled the Freecash ads, but Apple did not instrumentality enactment to region the app. Freecash stayed successful the App Store until TechCrunch contacted Apple connected Monday, which is erstwhile Apple removed the app from the App Store. Apple said Freecash violated its guidelines prohibiting scam practices and misleading marketing.
Freecash genitor institution Almedia denied utilizing deceptive selling techniques and said it was successful compliance with Apple's App Store rules.
Our apps are afloat compliant with the Apple App Store and Google Play Store policies, arsenic demonstrated by the information that they are unrecorded and regularly walk level reviews. We bash not remark connected interior merchandise strategy regarding circumstantial app listings.
Freecash was downloaded by 5.5 cardinal radical crossed the Apple App Store and Google Play successful January 2026, and it has remained precocious connected the App Store charts since then. In summation to utilizing misleading TikTok ads, the app appears to person utilized bots and fake ratings to thrust traffic. The app's developers whitethorn person besides acquired an existing App Store app to get astir Apple's app reappraisal system, arsenic the Freecash app was banned astatine 1 constituent successful 2024 earlier an existing App Store app was renamed Freecash and updated with the aforesaid functionality.
TechCrunch's afloat study has much accusation connected Freecash and the scammy tactics the institution down the app utilized to lure successful users.
Tag: App Store
This article, "Apple Removes Freecash App From App Store After Months of Data Harvesting" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com
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