New Apple Developer Guideline Bans Apps That Promote Other Apps

Darrell Etherington, writing for AOL/TechCrunch:

Apple has changed its iOS developer guidelines, adding a clause (on September 12, a source tells me) that reads: “Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected.” That’s a change that could have wide-reaching effects, especially on promotion models that offer developers a paid top slot on app recommendation offerings like FreeAppADay, Daily App Dream and more.

I’m not sure I see any problem that Apple is solving here with this ban. Whereas some of these apps, like TouchArcade, solve a real problem with the App Store: they provide expertly curated and community-driven recommendations that are far more relevant and accurate than the top-selling lists in the App Store itself. The App Store mostly presents you with what’s popular; an app/service like TouchArcade tries to present you with what’s good.

This is a case where these services should be able to survive outside the App Store as mobile websites, but I simply don’t see what problem Apple is solving by keeping them out of the store. See more in this report by Keith Andrew at PocketGamer.

★ Monday, 1 October 2012