Overview
- The Tech Transparency Project reported 52 App Store listings tied to entities on the U.S. Treasury SDN list and 18 on Google Play.
- Flagged links included Russian banks such as Gazprombank and National Standard Bank, China’s XPCC, and a company tied to an accused Lithuanian drug trafficker.
- Investigators said the apps’ developer or seller details matched sanctioned entities, and TTP identified them using SDN-name normalization plus automated and manual searches.
- Google removed all but one of the flagged Play Store apps after being contacted, and Apple removed 35 of the 52 during or after the investigation.
- Apple disputes that all listings violated U.S. sanctions and says it is enhancing review processes, while observers note potential legal exposure when platforms process developer fees.