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Microsoft’s Windows Store is full of illegal movie and TV streaming apps

Microsoft’s Windows Store is full of illegal movie and TV streaming apps

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Microsoft’s Windows Store has been full of junk apps for years, but a new problem has emerged with apps providing access to pirated movies and TV shows. Torrent Freak reports that some apps run across PCs, mobile, and even Xbox One, and provide quick access to movies that aren’t even on legal streaming platforms. There’s also a range of pirated music apps that stream songs and albums.

A number of apps, including “Free Movies Online” and “HD Movies Online 2019” are promoted in Microsoft’s trending apps section of the Windows Store, making it easy for anyone to discover them. While other app stores like Google’s Play Store also suffer from similar issues, the sheer number in Microsoft’s Windows Store show that the company’s approval process is clearly broken. The Verge was able to download a variety of apps that provided access to pirated movies and TV shows.

Microsoft has tried to improve its Windows Store several times over the years, and the company’s latest effort is focused on getting desktop apps into the store. Microsoft’s problem is that it lacks a wide range of apps, so these illegal apps are easily gamed into trending lists before they’re removed. Microsoft was forced to ban game emulator apps in the Windows Store earlier this year, after a clampdown on pirated content.

“We take reports that there is intellectual property infringement or inappropriate content in our Store seriously and we will review this recent report to its fullest,” says a Microsoft spokesperson. “In an effort to offer our customers quality content they can feel confident in, we continually work with our developers to ensure that they are in compliance with our Application Developer Agreement and our Store Policies.”

Update, August 22nd 2:40PM ET: Microsoft comment added to article.