Bad actors are incredibly savvy when it comes to tricking unsuspecting consumers into downloading infringing apps, often using not only trademarked images and logos, but also content and original source code. These inauthentic apps have become the fastest-growing threat to consumers, with malicious activity and fraud attacks linked to them increasing by 191% from 2018 to 2019.
Despite the security measures the major app stores implement to prevent uploads from bad actors, the sheer number of apps uploaded daily means it’s absolutely critical for brands to incorporate comprehensive mobile app protection into their overall brand protection and security strategies. Every second an infringing app is live it poses a threat to your brand and to your customers and fans.Infringing apps not only impact the authenticity of your customers’ experiences, but they can lead to increased support costs, reductions in revenue from in-app purchases and reputational harm. Mitigating these potential effects requires ongoing vigilance and immediate action on your part and the part of your enforcement team.
Part of an effective strategy is knowing exactly how to enforce upon infringing apps. Addressing the challenge of fake mobile apps requires in-depth knowledge of enforcement requirements, an understanding of the nuances that accompany each store’s reporting process, and the ability to scale across a wide variety of app stores.
We’ve used our experience in this arena to create two step-by-step guides for brands. These guides describe how to report an infringing app on two of the major app platforms and are available for download here.
