On Tuesday local time, Apple removed the allegedly fraudulent "Freecash" app from the App Store after it was revealed that the app had collected iPhone user data on a large scale over several months. The move comes after tech outlet TechCrunch asked Apple about the app's compliance.
In January this year, “Freecash” once ranked second in the U.S. App Store download rankings after heavily advertising on TikTok. Its promotion claims that users can be paid up to $35 per hour just for watching TikTok videos. However, security and technology media including Wired and MalwareBytes pointed out that the real purpose behind the app is to collect a wide range of users’ personal information.
According to relevant reports, "Freecash" will collect a large amount of sensitive data including race, religious beliefs, health status and biometrics through itself and the multiple mobile games it guides users to install. After users downloaded and used the app, they quickly discovered that the so-called promise of "making money through TikTok" was not true. What they could really get were small amounts of cash rewards saved by playing mobile games such as "Monopoly Go" and "Disney Solitaire." The actual operating logic of the application is to use incentive mechanisms to drive users to watch paid advertisements or make in-app purchases in these games, thereby diverting traffic and creating revenue for co-developers.
After the Wired report was published, TikTok immediately removed the advertising related to "Freecash", but Apple did not take simultaneous removal measures for the application at that time. It wasn't until TechCrunch asked Apple about the app on Monday that Apple removed "Freecash" from the App Store, saying the app violated its review terms prohibiting scams and misleading marketing.
Almedia, the parent company of "Freecash", denies that it uses deceptive marketing tactics and insists that its apps comply with the policies of Apple's App Store and Google Play. The company claimed in its response that its apps regularly pass platform reviews and declined to comment on specific product strategies.
Data analysis shows that in January 2026 alone, "Freecash" was downloaded a total of 5.5 million times on the Apple App Store and Google Play platforms, and has maintained a high ranking in the App Store rankings since then. In addition to attracting users through TikTok ads that exaggerate earnings, the app appears to use bot accounts and fake ratings to drive buzz and exposure. There are signs that the development team acquired an existing App Store application, renamed it "Freecash" and updated it with the same functions to circumvent a delisting ban and subsequent strict review process encountered in 2024.
Currently, “Freecash” has been removed from the Apple App Store, but controversies surrounding its data collection, advertising compliance, and the effectiveness of the App Store review mechanism are still ongoing. TechCrunch’s in-depth investigation revealed more details about how the company exploits loopholes in the reward mechanism and platform rules, once again triggering discussions about the security and supervision of app stores.