Apple as we speak is releasing a brand new model of its App Store Review Guidelines, its prolonged doc that dictates the principles that apps should abide by so as to be printed to its App Store. Among the extra notable modifications rolling out as we speak are a number of sections that may see Apple taking a tougher stance on App Store fraud, scams and developer misconduct, together with a brand new course of that goals to empower different builders to carry unhealthy actors accountable.
One of the important thing updates on this entrance includes a change to Apple’s Developer Code of Conduct (Sections 5.6 and 5.6.1-5.6.4 of the Review Guidelines).
This part has been considerably expanded to incorporate steering stating that repeated manipulative or deceptive conduct or different fraudulent conduct will result in the developer’s elimination from the Apple Developer Program. This is one thing Apple has finished for repeated violations, it claims, however needed to now guarantee it was clearly spelled out within the pointers.
In a wholly new third paragraph on this part, Apple says that if a developer engages in actions or actions that aren’t in accordance with the developer code of conduct, they are going to have their Apple Developer account terminated.
It additionally particulars what, particularly, have to be finished to revive the account, which incorporates offering Apple with a written assertion detailing the enhancements they’ve made, which must be accepted by Apple. If Apple is ready to affirm the modifications have been made, it might then restore the developer’s account.
Apple defined in a press briefing that this modification was meant to forestall a form of catch and launch state of affairs the place a developer will get caught by Apple, however then later reverts their modifications to proceed their unhealthy conduct.
As a part of this replace, Apple added a brand new part about developer id (5.6.2). This is supposed to make sure the contact info for builders supplied to Apple and prospects is correct and purposeful, and that the developer isn’t impersonating different, respectable builders on the App Store. This was a selected concern in a high-profile incident of App Store fraud which concerned a crypto pockets app that scammed a consumer out of his life’s financial savings (~$600,000) in Bitcoin. The rip-off sufferer had been deceived as a result of the app was utilizing the identical identify and icon as a unique firm that made a {hardware} crypto system, and since the rip-off app was rated 5 stars. (Illegitimately, that’s.)
Related to this, Apple clarified the language round App Store discovery fraud (5.6.3) to extra particularly name out any sort of manipulations of App Store charts, search, evaluations and referrals. The former would imply to crack down on the clearly booming trade of pretend App Store scores and evaluations, which might ship a rip-off app increased in charts and search.
Meanwhile, the referral crackdown would tackle shoppers being proven incorrect pricing exterior the App Store in an effort to spice up installs.

There are lots of of those. And then, there’s lots of of *actual* ones too: ⭐️”SCAM. What shady business. Downloaded this app on concept. It doesn’t even work. There is no free version AT ALL. You are tricked into downloading and then asked to pay $7.99 per FREAKING WEEK. Wow.”
— Kosta Eleftheriou (@keleftheriou) January 31, 2021

Another part (5.6.4) addresses points that come up after an app is printed, together with destructive buyer stories and issues and extreme refund charges, for instance. If Apple notices this conduct, it is going to examine the app for violations, it says.
Of course, the query right here is: Will Apple truly discover the potential scammers? In current months, a rising variety of builders consider Apple is permitting far too many scammers to fall via the cracks of App Review.
One explicit thorn in Apple’s facet has been Fleksy keyboard app founder Kosta Eleftheriou, who is just not solely suing Apple for the income he’s personally misplaced to scammers, but in addition shaped a form of one-man bunco squad to show a few of the extra egregious scams so far. This has included the above-mentioned crypto rip-off; a children recreation that really contained a hidden on-line on line casino; and a VPN app scamming customers out of $5 million per 12 months, amongst many others.
The rampant fraud happening on the App Store was additionally introduced up throughout Apple’s antitrust listening to, when Georgia’s Senator Jon Ossoff requested Apple’s Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer why Apple was not capable of find scams, given they’re “trivially easy” to determine.
Apple downplayed the issues then, and continues to take action via press releases like this one, which famous how the App Store stopped over $1.5 billion in fraudulent transactions in 2020.
But a brand new replace to those pointers appears to be an admission that Apple may have a little bit assistance on this entrance. It says builders can now straight report attainable violations they discover in different builders’ apps. Through a brand new type that standardizes this form of grievance, builders can level to guideline violations and some other belief and issues of safety they uncover. Often, builders discover the scammers whose apps are impacting their very own enterprise and income, in order that they’ll probably flip to this manner now as a primary step in getting the scammer handled.
Another change will enable builders to enchantment a rejection in the event that they assume there was unfair remedy of any type, together with political bias. Previously, Apple had allowed builders to enchantment App Store choices and recommend modifications to pointers.
Apple instructed us it has 500 app reviewers protecting 81 languages who see new eventualities each day that should be accounted for in up to date pointers and insurance policies. Apple says it takes what it learns from these particular person points it encounters to spend money on its techniques, algorithms and coaching so it will probably forestall comparable points sooner or later. The firm believes the brand new Code of Conduct guidelines, particularly, will give it the instruments wanted to higher crack down on App Store fraud.
The guidelines about scams are solely a handful of the various modifications rolling out with as we speak’s up to date App Store Review Guidelines.
There are a couple of others, nonetheless, additionally price highlighting:
Apple clarified guidelines round “hookup” apps to make sure builders perceive porn and prostitution should not allowed on the App Store — typically a difficulty with the fly-by-night hookup apps, which bait and swap customers.
Creator content material apps are instructed that they need to comply with guidelines for user-generated content material, when relevant, which means they will need to have content material blocking, reporting and strong moderation.
Apple added the power for licensed pharmacies and licensed hashish dispensaries to facilitate buying, supplied they’re authorized and geogated.
Apps that report legal exercise require the builders to work with native legislation enforcement. (Citizen is a current instance of an app gone awry when customers hunted down the unsuitable particular person. That degree of carelessness could also be coming to an finish now.)
Bait-and-switch advertising and adverts about app pricing isn’t allowed.
Cellular service apps can now embody different kinds of subscription apps moreover music and video companies.
Apple clarifies that builders can talk on e-mail with anybody, however says they will’t goal prospects acquired via the App Store with messages about the best way to make purchases exterior of the App Store.
Apple has sufficient ingesting recreation apps. Stop sending them in.
Apps that supply account creation even have to supply account deletion.
Other readability was added round in-app purchases for reward playing cards, app metadata, bug repair submissions and extra. But these weren’t main modifications.