By now, you’d think that Apple’s vetting procedures for the App Store are watertight, but think again. As reported by The Verge, this Threads post shows that an app called Univer Note, a productivity app on the outside, is actually an illegal app that grants certain users access to pirated films.
Kris Holt/Engadget
The kicker isn’t only that the app is Apple-approved. Univer Note actually functions as a productivity app, but if you’re in countries like France or Canada, a French menu full of pirated movies and shows will show up. The app’s listing makes it appear like a standard, if generic, app, but it has an incredible rating of 4.9 stars out of 5.
When we downloaded and tested this ourselves, we found movies and shows like Agatha All Along, Breaking Bad, The Office, Deadpool and Wolverine and many other titles, all streaming for free.
Kris Holt/Engadget
The content is divided into sections for various streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Max, Paramount+ and Crunchyroll, as well as a few French-only platforms. Some of the movies have only recently been released in theaters, including Venom: The Last Dance and Terrifier 3.
Apple will likely remove Univer Note from the store soon, and it likely won’t be the last app to slip past the tech giant’s filters. However, the fact that it has plenty of content from large streaming platforms makes it a particularly egregious slip-up. You have to imagine that Netflix and Disney aren’t happy with this.
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.