Apple removes more apps from Mac App Store that stole browser history

Apple has removed some apps from the Mac App Store that abused access to the Home directory to upload users’ browsing history to its own servers. One of the apps was in the top 20 most popular free apps on the download store for macOS.

It concerns the apps of a developer called ‘Trend Micro’, reports 9to5 Mac. The apps have names like Dr. Unarchiver and Dr. Cleaner and promises users, among other things, to delete unnecessary files on the storage. Therefore, they request access to the Home directory, after which they upload a zip file containing user data to a server set by the developer.

The method is similar to that of Adware Doctor, an app that Apple removed just before the weekend. Both Adware Doctor and these new apps were among the more popular apps in the download store, and Dr Unarchiver was number 12 in the top list of free applications in the download store at the time of its removal.

Beyond the takedowns, Apple has not commented on findings that some of the most popular apps in the Mac App Store were found to be collecting user data. It is unknown from how many users the developers got their hands on data.