Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Numerous Apps Caught up in Apple's New App Store Review Policy to Ban Gambling-Related Apps
In an attempt to crack down on gambling-related apps in the App Store, Apple has today implemented a new App Review policy for individual developers, but many apps that are being banned as a result appear to have very little to do with gambling at all.
Apple has been providing affected developers with the following reason for their app's removal from the App Store:
When developers submit their app to the App Store, a section called "Rating" asks them to rate their app's content based on a chart and identify how frequently the content appears.
The content marker "Unrestricted web access" in this section applies when a user can access any URL by opening a browser window from within the submitted app.
Ticking it automatically slaps the app with a 17+ age rating if it makes it to the App Store, because it gives users of the app the potential ability to circumvent parental controls.
However, on the face of it, Apple's gambling-related ban today looks to have overreached significantly in this regard. We've asked Apple for comment and will update this post if we hear more.
Our newsstand/news/magazine app just got removed from sale from the App Store 24 hours after our 3.0 update was approved. Reason given: gambling/fraudulent activity. We publish a magazine — nothing to do with gambling or fraud at all. 😞😢😲😱 https://t.co/ewu3mE5FG5 pic.twitter.com/vaKtLthvkW
— Wojtek Pietrusiewicz (@morid1n) August 9, 2018
Apple has been providing affected developers with the following reason for their app's removal from the App Store:
In order to reduce fraudulent activity on the App Store and comply with government requests to address illegal online gambling activity, we are no longer allowing gambling apps submitted by individual developers. The includes both real money gambling apps as well as apps that simulate a gambling experience.Apple finishes by saying that "only verified accounts from incorporated business entities may submit gambling apps for distribution on the App Store", and advises developers to visit the Enrollment page to learn more about enrolling an organization in the Apple Developer Program.
As a result, this app has been removed from the App Store. While you can no longer distribute gambling apps from this account, you may continue to submit and distribute other types of apps to the App Store.
Apple just removed WatchPlay from the App Store for being a gambling app.
— Ziph0n (@Ziph0n) August 8, 2018
...? https://t.co/hL14H3oTFn
When developers submit their app to the App Store, a section called "Rating" asks them to rate their app's content based on a chart and identify how frequently the content appears.
The content marker "Unrestricted web access" in this section applies when a user can access any URL by opening a browser window from within the submitted app.
Ticking it automatically slaps the app with a 17+ age rating if it makes it to the App Store, because it gives users of the app the potential ability to circumvent parental controls.
However, on the face of it, Apple's gambling-related ban today looks to have overreached significantly in this regard. We've asked Apple for comment and will update this post if we hear more.
Tag: App Store
[ 63 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
14 months ago
They really should implement some sort of policy on how often full screen video ads can be played in apps.
14 months ago
after all this time, apple remains incompetent when maintaining their own app store.
14 months ago
horray for forced group think. Anyone else uncomfortable with the amount of censorship on the app store?
14 months ago
Well if gambling is a problem, then I wonder when all the stock trading apps will get banned...
14 months ago
I can understand why unvetted browser access is now restricted, as it would defeat the purpose of parental controls and Screen Time, but removing them under the guise of "gambling" is nonsensical.
14 months ago
after all this time, apple remains incompetent when maintaining their own app store.
Sorry but apple is one of the best in class in this regard. This will be handled fairly quickly I'm sure.You should really check out the sorry state of steam.
14 months ago
Have Apple announced that they are "eradicating gambling apps"? They're still in the App Store submission guidelines: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#gaming-gambling-and-lotteries
Apple:
Apps that offer real money gaming (e.g. sports betting, poker, casino games, horse racing) or lotteries must have necessary licensing and permissions in the locations where the App is used, must be geo-restricted to those locations, and must be free on the App Store.
14 months ago
What I inferred from reading the story is that some apps are being disallowed for permitting “unrestricted web access”, but the reason coming through to the developer is under the broader term “gambling/fraudulent activity” which is confusing to the developers, as the apps mentioned are not gambling apps.
Therefore it is a problem of the categorisation of the app rejection, and will probably be fixed by Apple by tweaking their rejection email to more accurately categorise the reason for rejection.
Perhaps there has been a modification to the gambling app requirements recently, which has led to some confusion, and this cross-categorisation error.
That’s what I understood this was referring to. Could be wrong though....!
Therefore it is a problem of the categorisation of the app rejection, and will probably be fixed by Apple by tweaking their rejection email to more accurately categorise the reason for rejection.
Perhaps there has been a modification to the gambling app requirements recently, which has led to some confusion, and this cross-categorisation error.
That’s what I understood this was referring to. Could be wrong though....!
14 months ago
While I appreciate their 'privacy mattery' stance, they get more and more like big brother.
14 months ago
I can understand why unvetted browser access is now restricted, as it would defeat the purpose of parental controls and Screen Time, but removing them under the guise of "gambling" is nonsensical.
You are right. The fix should be to not allow children under parental controls to access those apps not to make it impossible for adults to buy them.
[doublepost=1533817634][/doublepost]
Still weird that they would automate this removal simply by going by one of the rating options which had been set for years.
Yes, and by telling you to remove that self-imposed rating option, they're encouraging your to not be fully candid about your app.
[ Read All Comments ]
Microsoft today announced the launch of a beta version of its upcoming Microsoft Edge browser, which is available today for Windows and macOS users.
Previously, the Microsoft Edge browser was...
In an email to developers today, received by MacRumors, Apple has announced that apps marked as having "Frequent/Intense Simulated Gambling" will be rated 17+ in all countries and regions...
Apple Music today launched an all-new playlist of emerging songs that are receiving the most shazams around the world, called the "Shazam Discovery Top 50." The playlist will be updated every...
Best Buy has returned this week with a new set of discounts on the Apple Watch Series 3, offering up to $175 off of select models. In the sale you'll find GPS + cellular versions of the 2017...
Yubico, a company that makes physical security keys for two-factor authentication, today announced the launch of its Lightning-based YubiKey device that's designed to work with Apple's...
Bill Stasior, Apple's former head of Siri development, has joined Microsoft as corporate VP of technology, reports The Information.
Starting this month, Stasior will lead an artificial...
Earlier this summer, Mophie announced and launched a new line of Juice Pack Air cases for the iPhone XS and XS Max, which promise to add extra hours of battery life to your iPhone while providing...
After offering a look at its upcoming streaming service Disney+, and announcing a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu, Disney today confirmed the devices that will support Disney+ at launch. For Apple device...
