Fake Amazon reviews have been a plague on the online shopping experience for years. Low-quality products are oftentimes backed by positive reviews that trick unknowing customers into buying worse products.
This Amazon marketplace tactic is so commonplace that company Fakespot developed an app entirely to fight the issue. However, the online marketplace has since gotten the app removed.
Amazon and Apple remove Fakespot
The Fakespot app works by scouring the Amazon marketplace for listing. Fakespot then scans the credibility of a product page and gives it a grade from A to F. Those who use the app can easily spot dodgy products and instead buy higher quality ones.
Reported by CNBC, Amazon reported the app to Apple. The company claims that Fakespot's use of their website inside the app is not allowed. Furthermore, the company claims that the app is misleading their customers. A spokesperson explained:
“The app in question provides customers with misleading information about our sellers and their products, harms our sellers’ businesses, and creates potential security risks.”
On Friday, Apple quickly removed Fakespot after reviewing the app in question. Apple revealed that the app encroached upon intellectual property rights and had grounds for removal. The company also claimed that the app collected data from customers.
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Will Fakespot come back?
Despite Apple claiming that Fakespot were given “ample time" to improve their app for the iOS store, Fakespot claims otherwise. Founder and CEO Saoud Khalifah fired back at Apple over the app’s removal.
Khalifah explained that Fakespot never collects data from users as the app simply uses a wrapper over a normal web browser. He said:
“We don’t steal users’ information, we’ve never done that. They’ve shown zero proof and Apple acted on this with zero proof. “Imagine going to a tenant and saying you have to take all your stuff, you have to leave right now. That’s how I feel right now, to be quite honest with you.”
The app is still available on android platforms.
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