Microsoft Ejects Junk Apps from Windows Store
Microsoft came under fire last week for not curating the Windows Store as well as it should have, letting thousands of dangerous copycat apps roam free. Yesterday (Aug. 27), the company announced it had taken the criticism to heart and expelled more than 1,500 shady apps from both the Windows Store and the related Windows Phone Store as part of a new initiative to keep a closer eye on its digital marketplaces.
Todd Brix, a general manager for the Windows Store, wrote up a blog post detailing Microsoft's efforts to keep its storefront clean and relatively free of scams. Brix said the Windows Store has tightened its certification process, requiring each new app to have an accurate name, an appropriate category and a unique icon.
The requirements on these three things used to be much less stringent, leading to a cavalcade of junky apps in the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store.
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So far, Microsoft has removed more than 1,500 shoddy apps from the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store, and has contacted an even greater number of developers who were willing to revise their apps in order to remain up for sale.
Brix also promised that anyone who downloaded an app based on a misleading title or description could contact Microsoft for a full refund.
The Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store may still contain potentially dangerous apps, but their number should gradually decline as Microsoft treats the situation with the gravity it deserves. If you see a fake app, let Microsoft know, and you might just save someone a few dollars and a lot of headaches down the road.
Marshall Honorof is a Staff Writer for Tom's Guide. Contact him at mhonorof@tomsguide.com. Follow him @marshallhonorof and on Google+. Follow us @tomsguide, on Facebook and on Google+.
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