A movie and TV piracy app disguised as a vision testing app recently snuck into Apple’s closely guarded and protected App Store.
The app, a vision testing platform called Kimi, was trending at number eight in free entertainment apps before its swift removal from the App Store by Apple after its discovery. On the App Store’s page for Kimi, it was described as “an interesting APP that tests your eyesight. In application, you need an uncanny eye to spot the difference.”
Well, anyone with a canny eye would’ve immediately noticed after downloading it that is not what the app did. Instead, the app provided movies and TV shows to download or stream illegally. There was no splash screen or anything to hide it either. You just opened the app, and boom, it was right there to browse and watch content.
The Verge reached out to Apple and asked about how this app made it past its review team. Shortly afterwards, Apple removed the app from the App Store on iOS, iPadOS and MacOS. Kimi has been available since September last year. It’s unclear where the app got its content from and how it hosted it.
It’s astonishing that an app like this made it past Apple’s App Store review team and was available for so long, but here we are. The Cupertino-based company has long touted that its closely guarded and reviewed App Store, which it has defended in court extensively, was necessary to keep iOS users safe and keep their trust.
This isn’t the first time an app has disguised itself on the App Store either. Just recently, a fake app posing as LastPass was removed from the App Store.
Image credit: Kimi App Store page
Source: The Verge
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
