Apple pulls ad blockers from App Store over privacy fears

Apple said these eliminated apps used to ask for certificates while installation.

The firm has not named, or even given a number for, the affected applications, but the suggestion is that they are bad news. These block ads and other content inside apps by scraping them out of your web traffic. A few are intrusive and distracting, popping up full-screen, causing the user to mistakenly tap on the ads. It can also block certain user data from being collected.

They are enforcing end-to-end encryption for their apps.

For now it seems he is right, but the key consent will be Apple’s.

Apple has reached out an olive branch to the developers whose otherwise legitimate apps have been removed from the App Store.

Apple has already approved ad blocker app AdBlock, to be supported by iOS 9.

Technologically, the feature uses a tool included in iOS to let businesses ensure their employees only connect to their networks in a secure manner.

Why is ad-blocking such a big deal?

If you’re one of the lucky few to get the newest Android on your device, you might notice some apps behaving oddly. It could lead to more free content being turned into paid subscriptions and such.

A similar ad blocking app by the name of Peace was launched during the same time, however it was pulled back by Mr. Marco Arment, the developer and co-founder of the Application. Curiously, Google’s own Google+ app is one such example.

Apple even went as far as to confirm that “if [developers] remove their apps from the store, they can not be redownloaded until the app has been resubmitted to the App Store”. However, it also allows for various third parties to gain access to the user’s private information.

The Been Choice app used a VPN service to strip advertising from native and third-party applications. In 2013 it removed ad blockers including Adblock Plus from the Play Store.

The app, named Been Choice, is only available on the U.S. app store, where it arrived on Tuesday. (2) No data from any other app was touched.

Did Apple accidentally approve Been Choice? The app does have the potential to shut down indie app developers that live on ad revenues. It spreads via unusual means, including the hijacking of traffic from nationwide ISPs, an SNS worm on Windows, and an offline app installation and community promotion.