More Apple Surprises: Updated Posting Guidelines on the App Store
For iOS developers, the era of change has arrived: new devices, new tools, new market requirements. A lot has already been said about the technical features of the updated platform and how to design and promote their offspring on the new version of the App Store. Today we want to turn to another change, which is now being discussed less widely - changes in the rules of publication .
In recent months, Apple has been adjusting and complementing the list of official requirements for products placed on the store twice already. The first batch of edits came in June, as an early preparation of the soil for the autumn release; the second was published quite recently. Each was followed by a massive sweep - the removal of thousands of applications from the market without warning and hope for amnesty. Since everything is so serious, it is probably worthwhile to make out in more detail what exactly has changed and whether it is worth starting to be afraid. We studied the June and September agreements and collected all the significant innovations here, under the cut.
Looking ahead: you should not be afraid, but you can be afraid. There are a lot of changes, they are scattered throughout the text and concern various aspects of development and publication. The lion's share of titles that fell under the distribution, is frank scam, which inspires a certain sense of security: why should we worry, we are not scammers. But in fact, you can get caught on fairly innocuous little things just out of ignorance - we already came across several such cases.
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Let's start with the June theses. What you need to know?
1. Delete without talking and warnings will be:
2. A list of requirements for anti-spam products. Such functions must be mentioned in the description, and with a detailed explanation of which algorithm filters and calls / messages blocked. It is forbidden to use the data obtained for any purposes not related to the operation of the application (sales, tracking, collecting information about the user, advertising targeting).
3. The same applies to music applications that access user data in Apple Music.
4. Medical applications will also be subject to more stringent controls. The description should disclose the methodology that is used for medical reports and ensures their accuracy. Immediately will be rejected products that allegedly produce operations that require special equipment (measure pressure, temperature, blood sugar levels, make an x-ray). It is imperative to include a recommendation to contact a specialist for more accurate consultation.
5. The length of the subscription period cannot be less than a week; Subscription must be relevant on all user devices.
6. The range of actions to which you can not force the user, blocking the ability to use functionality, added video viewing and clicking on the advertising banner (in addition to posting, reviewing, rating or downloading another application). It is also forbidden to offer for them a reward, money or any other.
7. You can use the code "from the side", provided that it is carried out through WebKit or JavaScript Core, and the developer is in the Apple Development Program.
8. The text added minor changes relating to various aspects of design:
We now turn to the most recent, the September version. Here the list of edits is more basic and in many respects thematically echoes and continues what was planned in the summer:
1. Applications which functionality does not correspond to the given description will also be deleted. As an example, the App Store direct text leads antiviruses, which, according to sources, form the bulk of the victims of the latest cleaning. By the way, you cannot promise content or services that the product does not offer, not only on the market, but also offline.
2. Authentication via Face ID should be performed only and exclusively with the help of LocalAuthentication (use of ARKit and other technologies is prohibited). For users under 13 years old, an alternative authentication method should be provided.
3. ARKit is permissible to apply only if you plan to give users "a rich, integrated experience of interaction with augmented reality." In other words, a couple of models or animations are not enough.
4. Inside the application, it is allowed to transfer money from user to user, but only voluntarily and as a gift, and not in exchange for digital content or services (in this case, you should arrange the transaction as IAP). The developer has no right to take part of the funds themselves.
5. Products that use technologies such as ARKit, Camera API, Photo API for face recognition must have a user agreement and request consent for data collection. The information obtained cannot be used for purposes not specified in the agreement.
6. Ethnic discrimination (along with gender, sexuality and religion) will now also be subject to sanctions.
7. In case of emergency (related, for example, to human trafficking or child abuse), Apple reserves the right not only to uninstall the application, but also to inform the appropriate authorities.
In summary, the changes relate primarily to data security and some ethical issues. Of course, in the risk zone, first of all, those who have completely lost their conscience, however, with such an abundance of requirements for data collection, many applications may not be moderated. In addition, Apple delineates the boundaries for new technology and also gradually begins to tighten the screws on the toolkit. First of all, it makes sense to closely monitor future text updates to those who work with ARKit, Face ID and other innovations - they are, as can be seen from what has been said, now at the stage of active codification.
Good luck and long life on the market!
In recent months, Apple has been adjusting and complementing the list of official requirements for products placed on the store twice already. The first batch of edits came in June, as an early preparation of the soil for the autumn release; the second was published quite recently. Each was followed by a massive sweep - the removal of thousands of applications from the market without warning and hope for amnesty. Since everything is so serious, it is probably worthwhile to make out in more detail what exactly has changed and whether it is worth starting to be afraid. We studied the June and September agreements and collected all the significant innovations here, under the cut.
Looking ahead: you should not be afraid, but you can be afraid. There are a lot of changes, they are scattered throughout the text and concern various aspects of development and publication. The lion's share of titles that fell under the distribution, is frank scam, which inspires a certain sense of security: why should we worry, we are not scammers. But in fact, you can get caught on fairly innocuous little things just out of ignorance - we already came across several such cases.
')
Let's start with the June theses. What you need to know?
1. Delete without talking and warnings will be:
- Applications for the sale of controlled substances (with the exception of official applications of pharmacy chains).
- Outdated applications for which developers no longer provide support, which leads to incorrect work.
- Applications created on the basis of templates using special services such as “assemble yourself without knowing the code.”
- Applications using technologies, frameworks and functions that are incompatible with new versions of OS.
- Binary options trading applications.
2. A list of requirements for anti-spam products. Such functions must be mentioned in the description, and with a detailed explanation of which algorithm filters and calls / messages blocked. It is forbidden to use the data obtained for any purposes not related to the operation of the application (sales, tracking, collecting information about the user, advertising targeting).
3. The same applies to music applications that access user data in Apple Music.
4. Medical applications will also be subject to more stringent controls. The description should disclose the methodology that is used for medical reports and ensures their accuracy. Immediately will be rejected products that allegedly produce operations that require special equipment (measure pressure, temperature, blood sugar levels, make an x-ray). It is imperative to include a recommendation to contact a specialist for more accurate consultation.
5. The length of the subscription period cannot be less than a week; Subscription must be relevant on all user devices.
6. The range of actions to which you can not force the user, blocking the ability to use functionality, added video viewing and clicking on the advertising banner (in addition to posting, reviewing, rating or downloading another application). It is also forbidden to offer for them a reward, money or any other.
7. You can use the code "from the side", provided that it is carried out through WebKit or JavaScript Core, and the developer is in the Apple Development Program.
8. The text added minor changes relating to various aspects of design:
- Names : should not include expressions like “for children”, “for kids”, if they do not belong to the relevant category, as well as references to the price.
- It is forbidden in subtaytlah : to refer to other applications or to give information about a product that you cannot confirm.
- Icons : Customized icons are allowed, provided that it remains possible to return to the original one. Variations of icons should be associated with the content of the application (for example, icons that display different types of weather for the utility with forecasts) and be synchronized throughout the system.
We now turn to the most recent, the September version. Here the list of edits is more basic and in many respects thematically echoes and continues what was planned in the summer:
1. Applications which functionality does not correspond to the given description will also be deleted. As an example, the App Store direct text leads antiviruses, which, according to sources, form the bulk of the victims of the latest cleaning. By the way, you cannot promise content or services that the product does not offer, not only on the market, but also offline.
2. Authentication via Face ID should be performed only and exclusively with the help of LocalAuthentication (use of ARKit and other technologies is prohibited). For users under 13 years old, an alternative authentication method should be provided.
3. ARKit is permissible to apply only if you plan to give users "a rich, integrated experience of interaction with augmented reality." In other words, a couple of models or animations are not enough.
4. Inside the application, it is allowed to transfer money from user to user, but only voluntarily and as a gift, and not in exchange for digital content or services (in this case, you should arrange the transaction as IAP). The developer has no right to take part of the funds themselves.
5. Products that use technologies such as ARKit, Camera API, Photo API for face recognition must have a user agreement and request consent for data collection. The information obtained cannot be used for purposes not specified in the agreement.
6. Ethnic discrimination (along with gender, sexuality and religion) will now also be subject to sanctions.
7. In case of emergency (related, for example, to human trafficking or child abuse), Apple reserves the right not only to uninstall the application, but also to inform the appropriate authorities.
In summary, the changes relate primarily to data security and some ethical issues. Of course, in the risk zone, first of all, those who have completely lost their conscience, however, with such an abundance of requirements for data collection, many applications may not be moderated. In addition, Apple delineates the boundaries for new technology and also gradually begins to tighten the screws on the toolkit. First of all, it makes sense to closely monitor future text updates to those who work with ARKit, Face ID and other innovations - they are, as can be seen from what has been said, now at the stage of active codification.
Good luck and long life on the market!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/338982/
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