The Apple App Store is known for its strict app review process. However, an illegal streaming app such as IPTV has managed to rise to the top of downloads in France under the misleading name of Univer Note. Unfortunately, this is not the first time and this new disappointment raises serious questions. Back to this hiccup which questions the reliability of Apple’s controls.
Univer Note, another illegal application
At first glance, Univer Note appears to be an ordinary note-taking application. Its description promises to help users “record the day’s events and plan their time.” The comments, probably fake, praise its practicality for shopping lists or university courses.
But once installed, the deception is obvious. Univer Note is not a notebook, it is actually a completely illegal streaming platform. There you can find films and series from Netflix, Disney+ or even Apple TV+, all for free and without a subscription.
Launched in early September, Univer Note quickly gained popularity thanks to word of mouth on social networks. Recommendation videos have flourished on TikTok and YouTube, propelling the app to the top of downloads ahead of heavyweights like ChatGPT or Temu.
On the App Store there’s a streaming movie and series piracy app that pretends to be a note-taking app (no idea how it passes Apple controls), and in the comments… people are all playing the game. pic.twitter.com/gFsi1qAKM3
— Guillaume Champeau (@gchampeau) November 4, 2024
Univer Note’s economic model is obviously based on advertising, which is omnipresent in the application. It also asks for authorization to track user activities, raising fears of aggressive advertising targeting or even resale of personal data. An unofficial Android version goes as far as wanting to access phone calls.
The flaws in Apple’s validation process
This case highlights the weaknesses of Apple’s control of applications. Despite hundreds of experts evaluating each submission, one illegal app managed to slip through the cracks. The developer, a certain “Richmond Zapp” who cannot be found, probably submitted a first legal version before transforming it via an update.
This is not the first time that Apple has allowed illegal streaming applications like Micro Clothes Or Flower Butler only two weeks ago, not to mention Bliss. But the success of Univer Note, number 1 in downloads, is a snub for the Apple brand which highlights the security of its ecosystem. Hopefully this pushes Apple to strengthen its controls to avoid this kind of disappointment in the future.
