Apple denies developer App Store access due to mistaken identity on sanctions list

Access Denied by Apple

Apple denied a developer, Sean Byrne, access to App Store Connect. The company stated that the provided information fully matched one or more restricted parties on a U.S. government consolidated screening list or another government's sanctions list. This decision was made despite Apple already possessing the developer's passport information.

Mistaken Identity Claim

The developer responded to Apple with his full legal name, Sean Joseph Byrne, and uploaded his driver's license. He highlighted that the address on the government record Apple appeared to be matching him against was not his, and he had no connection to the company involved. He requested escalation to Apple's sanctions compliance team for a non-match determination, but Apple has not yet replied.

The Consolidated Screening List Entry

A search of the U.S. government's Consolidated Screening List for 'Sean Byrne' yields one result: 'Sean Byrne, Cloonmull House, Drumcliffe, County Sligo, Ireland'. This entry originated from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List in 2009. The entry is an export-control instrument, not a sanctions list, and indicates a 'presumption of denial' for export licenses.

Fictitious Person in Past Case

The developer asserts that the person on the list is not him and appears to be fictitious. The entry is linked to the 2009 prosecution of Mac Aviation, an Irish aircraft-parts business. In that case, the Department of Justice described Sean Byrne as Mac Aviation's commercial manager, charged alongside others for illegal export of U.S. aircraft equipment to Iran. However, Mac Aviation reportedly invented employees to inflate its company size, suggesting the 'Sean Byrne' on the list may not be a real individual.