Apple has revealed that it blocked more than a billion fake App Store accounts last year, as automated systems increasingly target the internet. In 2025, the company prevented 1.1 billion fraudulent accounts, stopped 5.4 million stolen credit cards from being used, and rejected two million app submissions.
Rise of Bot Networks
The company noted that "bad actors have evolved their methods to defraud users, leveraging tactics such as implementing bot networks to create fake accounts, spam users, manipulate charts, or generate fake reviews." This is just one of many ways bots and automated systems are undermining internet security.
Impact of AI on App Submissions
Apple also suggested that new AI tools for coding have caused app submissions to "surge," as they make developing and submitting software easier. In total, Apple reviewed more than 9.1 million apps and rejected over two million of them.
The company is increasingly using automated systems to detect problematic apps and block them. "By utilising AI to rapidly identify complex malicious patterns, analyse app similarity, and flag potentially problematic changes in app updates, Apple's systems help human reviewers focus their expertise where it matters most," Apple said.
Similar systems are used to identify fake ratings and reviews, which can artificially boost an app's popularity and lead to more downloads.
Apple released these figures as part of its App Store fraud prevention report. The company has repeatedly cited security as a key reason for maintaining sole control over which apps can be installed on iPhones—a policy some developers and regulators have criticised as unfair.
