iOS App Rejected = App Developer Dejected: App Store Guidelines Updated

The word is out, Apple has updated its App Store Guidelines. We counted and the word “rejected” appears 88 times, whew!

Actually, its not as bad as it seems, most of the information seems pretty straightforward, however one item did catch my eye: “Apps that duplicate Apps already in the App Store may be rejected, particularly if there are many of them, such as fart, burp, flashlight, and Kama Sutra Apps” Fart, burp and Kama Sutra … now that’s an odd combination.

On the “kids” front, the FTC’s implementation of new COPPA regulations on July 1 has been shaking up developers who own apps targeting children 13 and under, with its strict guidelines on what is and is not permissible and the understanding that the FTC will hammer violators. Interestingly, the app markets themselves seem to be somewhat immune to the regulation; however it is obvious that Apple has decided to formally let developers know they better play by the rules.

Updated guidelines in Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines offer definitions and instructions in the “Kids Apps” section. These guidelines include the following: Apps primarily intended for use by kids under 13 must include a privacy policy; Apps primarily intended for use by kids under 13 may not include behavioral advertising (e.g. the advertiser may not serve ads based on the user's activity within the App), and any contextual ads presented in the App must be appropriate for kids; Apps primarily intended for use by kids under 13 must get parental permission or use a parental gate before allowing the user to link out of the app or engage in commerce; Apps in the Kids Category must be made specifically for kids ages 5 and under, ages 6-8, or ages 9-11.

You can check it out yourself by going to the Apple Developer Portal.