Apple has tightened up its rules on pornographic apps even further, adding new terms for misleading marketing.
Apple updated the App Store rules immediately following its WWDC 2021 presentation, adding several new wording and sections.
Many of the amendments are aimed at combating fraud, for example:
- manipulation, misleading or other fraudulent activity will result in expulsion from the developer program and account deletion;
- Developers must provide Apple and App Store users with reliable and easily verifiable information about themselves so that they can be contacted in case of need;
- manipulation of charts or user reviews is prohibited on the site – this undermines the credibility of the App Store;
- misleading promotion of applications is prohibited, including mentioning a false price of a product or service – in case of violation, developer accounts may be deleted.
While many of the edits are aimed at fighting fraud, the in-app custom content clause sounds like a clarification of Apple’s position on Roblox. As part of the trial with Epic Games, the company said Roblox is not a game, and the new clause in the rules actually says the same. In Apple’s understanding, this is an application with user-generated content.
Roblox was mentioned in a lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games over Apple not allowing game streaming apps like Microsoft’s xCloud on the App Store. The company believes that each game in them is considered a separate application, which must be moderated.
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