I would like to report a serious and repeated pattern of potentially misleading and impersonating applications published on the Mac App Store under the seller/developer name Mihai Graure.
This is not a complaint about one isolated app. The same developer has published multiple applications using the names, branding, interfaces, and visual presentation of major services including LinkedIn, Zoom, Google Drive, Twitch, X/Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Gmail.
Reported applications:
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Desktop App for LinkedIn https://apps.apple.com/us/app/desktop-app-for-linkedin/id6786838795?mt=12
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Desktop App for Zoom https://apps.apple.com/us/app/desktop-app-for-zoom/id6796387421?mt=12
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App for Google Drive & Docs https://apps.apple.com/us/app/app-for-google-drive-docs/id6792317542?mt=12
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App for Twitch https://apps.apple.com/us/app/app-for-twitch/id6797809667?mt=12
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Desktop App for X (Twitter) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/desktop-app-for-x-twitter/id6786838258?mt=12
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App for TikTok https://apps.apple.com/us/app/app-for-tiktok/id6783051609?mt=12
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App for Facebook https://apps.apple.com/us/app/app-for-facebook-%C2%BA/id6770487788?mt=12
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Apps for Instagram https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apps-for-instagram/id6778116535?mt=12
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Desktop App for Gmail https://apps.apple.com/us/app/desktop-app-for-gmail/id6770216468?mt=12
My main concern is the overall presentation of these apps to customers. The developer uses the names of globally recognized services directly in the app titles. A user searching for Gmail, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Zoom, TikTok, Twitch, Google Drive, or X could reasonably believe these are official desktop apps or apps authorized by the companies that operate those services.
The concern is not limited to the names. The apps also appear to reproduce or closely imitate the official user interfaces, layouts, navigation, branding style, and visual presentation of the services they reference. The App Store screenshots appear identical or extremely similar to the official interfaces users already recognize.
This combination can create a very strong impression of legitimacy: the official product name is used in the title, the screenshots closely resemble the real service, the UI looks like the official product, and the app is presented as a dedicated “Desktop App” or “App for” that service.
I specifically request that Apple compare the screenshots and the actual installed apps side-by-side with the official websites and applications of the corresponding companies. Apple should verify whether the developer has authorization to use these product names, trademarks, branding, interface elements, screenshots, layouts, graphics, and other protected material.
Some listings may contain a non-affiliation statement, but this appears only at the end of the description, after the customer has already seen the app name, icon, screenshots, branding, and official-looking UI. In my view, a statement buried at the end of the description does not remove the misleading impression created by the rest of the listing.
Many customers make download decisions from search results, titles, icons, screenshots, and the first part of a description. Apple should therefore review the complete presentation rather than treating an end-of-description disclaimer as sufficient where the rest of the listing may strongly imply official affiliation.
This also appears to be a systematic developer-account-level pattern. The same seller has published at least nine apps targeting unrelated major brands operated by different companies, including Microsoft/LinkedIn, Zoom, Google, Amazon/Twitch, X Corp., ByteDance/TikTok, and Meta.
The repeated strategy appears very similar across the portfolio: use the established service name, present the product as a dedicated desktop app, and reproduce or closely resemble the official interface and visual identity. Because the same pattern is repeated across many unrelated brands, I ask Apple to investigate the entire developer account rather than reviewing each listing in isolation.
I believe these apps warrant investigation under App Review Guideline 4.1 — Copycats, as well as any applicable rules concerning intellectual property, misleading metadata, impersonation, trademark use, spam, and developer conduct.
Please investigate whether:
- the apps impersonate or closely imitate established services;
- another company’s brand or product name is being used without authorization;
- the UI substantially reproduces the official product experience;
- App Store screenshots reproduce or closely imitate official interfaces;
- users could reasonably mistake these apps for official or authorized products;
- the developer has permission from each affected company;
- protected trademarks, graphics, layouts, screenshots, or visual assets are being used without authorization;
- this represents repeated copycat or misleading behavior across one developer account;
- the overall presentation is designed to benefit from confusion with established brands.
I respectfully request that Apple App Review, Trust & Safety, and the appropriate Developer Program enforcement team conduct a full investigation of this developer account and all associated apps.
Please review the actual installed applications, not only the written descriptions. The UI, screenshots, naming, branding, and full customer experience are important when determining whether these apps are misleading or impersonating legitimate services.
Apple should also require the developer to demonstrate valid authorization from the companies whose names, products, and visual identities are being used.
If Apple determines that these apps involve unauthorized brand use, repeated impersonation, copycat behavior, misleading presentation, intellectual-property misuse, or other Developer Program violations, I request removal of the affected applications and appropriate account-level enforcement, including termination of the Apple Developer Program account if warranted.
This appears to be a repeated pattern involving multiple major brands, not an isolated naming mistake. I therefore ask Apple to investigate the complete developer portfolio and take appropriate action to protect Mac App Store users and preserve trust in App Store search results and developer identity.
