iOS pirating sites Hackulous, Apptrackr shut down
updated 10:13 am EST, Mon December 31, 2012
Reasons for shutdowns disputed
Two important sites for pirated iOS apps -- Hackulous and Apptrackr -- have suddenly announced their closures over the weekend, notes AppleInsider. A statement from Hackulous claims that the site's community has become "stagnant," and that its forums "are a bit of a ghost town." In spite of this, the site's owners say that it's become hard to keep the forums online and well-moderated.
A Hackulous app was installed on jailbroken iOS devices, and tied into Apptrackr, a service that delivered pirated apps through a web interface. Apptrackr likewise blames its closure on a lack of traffic, but two sources familiar with the sites tell TorrentFreak that there was still plenty of activity. If so, it's not clear why the sites are actually disappearing.
One possibility is that jailbreaking iOS has become too difficult. iOS 6 still hasn't been properly jailbroken, which may be killing demand for pirated apps, at least with users that have upgraded to the latest firmware. Although an exploit could be found in time, it may not arrive soon enough to help the ad revenue of outfits like Hackulous.
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Joined: 01-21-10
One possibility is that jailbreaking iOS has become too difficult.
Oh well. Jailbreakers can still get their sick thrills by stealing candy bars from 7-11.
And they'll be saving about the same amount of cash.