Mac App Store security certificates (original) (raw)

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A glitch in Apple's Mac App Store is prompting users to delete and re-download some of their apps.

Wednesday night, the security certificates for some Mac apps expired. Users got error messages and were forced to delete and re-download all of their affected apps.

Security certificates are pieces of code Apple uses to prevent piracy in the App Store.

The reports of the errors started on Twitter. Paul Haddad, the developer behind the popular app Tweetbot, was one of the first to notice why this was happening. In a tweet, he posted a screenshot that shows security certificates expiring on November 11.

—Paul Haddad (@tapbot_paul) November 12, 2015

One of Tech Insider's own reporters, Alex Heath, experienced the issue too. He got an error message saying some of his apps were "damaged" and could not open when he tried to update them Wednesday. He was forced to delete and reinstall the affected apps.

The Guardian found other affected users, and several more have complained on Twitter.

Tech Insider has reached out to Apple for comment and will update if we hear back.

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