

Apple has been putting users at risk for months now," another volunteer wrote on the ticket this week.Anyway, the situation has almost changed nowadays. "I think naming and shaming is now in order. There is no official bundle for iOS at the moment, although the recent Twitter conversation with Sandvik suggests some volunteers may begin work on it soon. If you believe you need Tor or just want to anonymize your Web surfing, you should download the Tor Browser Bundle directly from the Tor Project site. However, the problematic app may not be all that widespread, as it doesn't appear to have been downloaded that many times. "Tor Browser uses Tor to encrypt your Internet traffic and then hides it by bouncing through a series of computers around the world," according to the description in the App Store. Limited Damage? Considering that the app claims to let users surf the Internet "more securely," the accusations of adware and spyware would obviously undermine the app's stated goals.

But it does highlight the lack of transparency in Apple's vetting process, which remains a black box to folks outside the company. Add to that the fact that Apple has left the app alone even after being notified of potential issues makes the whole situation even weirder.


Even though other users have filed complaints, the app remains available on the App Store, and other Tor users and volunteers have expressed their frustrations on the ticket and elsewhere online.Īiring Grievances Publicly "Dear Apple, please take down the fake #Tor Browser Bundle you have in your App Store," Tor Project's Runa Sandvik wrote on Twitter.Ĭonsidering Apple's reputation for being strict about what apps it allows into the App Store in the first place, it's a little surprising that the fake app made it through the approval process. It appears from the ticket that Tor Project officials notified Apple of the fake app in December, and Apple said it would give the developer a chance to defend the app. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.
