Apple Releases New App Store Review Guidelines with Updated Rules for Kids Apps, Gambling Apps

[MacRumors]

Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines, revising several sections and introducing a number of new rules based on various policies that have been enacted over the last six months.

Most notably, Apple has clarified its guidelines regarding apps for children in light of its upcoming educational policy changes and the expansion of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) earlier this year.

COPPA's new rules prevent developers from collecting information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. While developers were previously limited from collecting information like name, address, and telephone number, COPPA now restricts access to photographs, video, and audio as well.

17.3 Apps may ask for date of birth (or use other age-gating mechanisms) only for the purpose of complying with applicable children's privacy statutes, but must include some useful functionality or entertainment value regardless of the user's age

17.4 Apps that collect, transmit, or have the capability to share personal information (e.g. name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, persistent identifiers, the ability to chat, or other personal data) from a minor must comply with applicable children's privacy statutes.

Apple has also created a whole new section on "Kids Apps" as it prepares to implement sweeping changes to its educational program with the introduction of iOS 7. As part of its efforts to increase iOS device usage in schools, Apple will allow children under age 13 to own and operate individual iTunes accounts for the first time.

The new section detailing apps for children under aged 13 specifies that such apps must include a privacy policy, may not include behavioral advertising (ads based on in-app activity, for example), and must ask for parental permission before allowing children to "link out of the app or engage in commerce." Apps in the Kids Category of the App Store must be made specifically for children "ages 5 and under, ages 6-8, or ages 9-11."

In addition to its guideline changes regarding children, Apple implemented two new guidelines that pertain to gambling. Apps that offer real money gaming are now required to be free and are forbidden from using in-app purchases to offer players credit or currency to use in such games.

20.5 Apps that offer real money gaming (e.g. sports betting, poker, casino games, horse racing) must have necessary licensing and permissions in the locations where the App is used, must be restricted to those locations, and must be free on the App Store

20.6 Apps that use IAP to purchase credit or currency to use in conjunction with real money gaming will be rejected

Apple has also introduced a new guideline that prevents apps "whose use may result in physical harm" and provided a slight wording change to guideline 2.25, which first made headlines earlier this year when it was cited in the rejection of prominent app discovery title AppGratis. Under the new terms, apps that mimic the App Store will not be rejected if they have been approved for a specific need.

Registered iOS developers can access Apple's full range of App Store Review Guidelines from Apple's developer site.

Article Link: Apple Releases New App Store Review Guidelines with Updated Rules for Kids Apps, Gambling Apps

 

[Krov7]

Hmm interesting

 

[braddick]

Should be an improvement over the old system.

 

[jav6454]

Inline with new rules regarding kids under 13...

 

[Squilly]

It's nice they're trying but I seriously don't see a point to all of this. Can't kids just lie about their age? Hell, I used to do this all the time.

 

[donutbagel]

I wonder if apps like Temple Run that encourage users to buy points to stay alive or something will be banned like gambling apps that use IAPs to buy credit.

 

[AngerDanger]

Apple has also introduced a new guideline that prevents apps "whose use may result in physical harm"

I wonder if my app, which requires users to bash their phones into their faces, will be rejected? C'mon, Apple!

 

[newyorksole]

It's nice they're trying but I seriously don't see a point to all of this. Can't kids just lie about their age? Hell, I used to do this all the time.

They sure can and I sure did when I was <13.

 

[donutbagel]

It's nice they're trying but I seriously don't see a point to all of this. Can't kids just lie about their age? Hell, I used to do this all the time.

I always say that my birth year is 1960 and always have. January 1, 1960. Not all kids were born yesterday.

 

[notjustjay]

They sure can and I sure did when I was <13.

They don't really care. They've done enough to cover their hineys legally by providing the mechanism to filter by age. The fact that you can lie about your age makes it your problem, not Apple's.

 

[newyorksole]

This is true.

 

[jdechko]

It's nice they're trying but I seriously don't see a point to all of this. Can't kids just lie about their age? Hell, I used to do this all the time.

Sure they can. However I'd like to believe that many kids under 13 wouldn't immediately jump to that thought. (I'm sure I'd be surprised).

I'd also like to think that there are other parents out there like me who set the devices up for their kids (especially the younger kids) and so the opportunity to lie about one's age is in the hands of the parents.

When I set up my son's account, I obviously had to lie because he's under 13. But I will be changing that soon when these new policies take effect.

 

[iLilana]

only time will tell

Hoping it will make the system better but for some reason I predict a lot of whining and complaining.

 

[Pakaku]

I'm just wondering which apps were able to cause physical harm.

 

[pipa]

Am I the only one that caught this or did I read this wrong. I think apple just opened up real money gambling over iOS. If this is true I think we can maybe one day see a Full Tilt type of poker on our device.

 

[Jjaro]

Am I the only one that caught this or did I read this wrong. I think apple just opened up real money gambling over iOS. If this is true I think we can maybe one day see a Full Tilt type of poker on our device.

Which part do you mean? (Not flaming, genuinely curious!)

Also, anyone think that this may mean that AppGratis will be able to come back into the App Store now?

 

[melevittfl]

Am I the only one that caught this or did I read this wrong. I think apple just opened up real money gambling over iOS. If this is true I think we can maybe one day see a Full Tilt type of poker on our device.

Real money gambling apps have been allowed for a long time in jurisdictions where real money gambling over the Internet is legal.

 

[HiRez]

What about games with Game Center voice chat? Does that mean devs have to bar <13 year olds from playing? Or disable voice chat just for that player? "or have the capability to share personal information" covers quite a lot.

 

[donutbagel]

I'm just wondering which apps were able to cause physical harm.

Seizure Flashing Lights Deluxe Pro? But someone with health problems could always look up the banned Pokémon episode on YouTube. Maybe also if someone made an ear-killer app, but again, I think this is possible on YouTube. I hope this doesn't turn into a classic American liability problem.

 

[Daveoc64]

I find it a bit odd that they haven't updated the guidelines to explicitly permit some of the things they've let slide for a while.

 

[Parasprite]

What about games with Game Center voice chat? Does that mean debs have to bar <13 year olds from playing? Or disable voice chat just for that player? "or have the capability to share personal information" covers quite a lot.

I assume the app just wouldn't show up in the <13 year-old friendly App Stores, if those were part of the criteria for inclusion.

 

[Winni]

They don't really care. They've done enough to cover their hineys legally by providing the mechanism to filter by age. The fact that you can lie about your age makes it your problem, not Apple's.

That only works in the American legal system, not in Europe.

I'm amazed that Apple doesn't want a 30% share on real money gambling. Must be their Disney image. They're missing out on a lot of money there.

 

[macs4nw]

.....I'm amazed that Apple doesn't want a 30% share on real money gambling. Must be their Disney image. They're missing out on a lot of money there.

The cat is already out of the bag, and Apple is a latecomer to that party. They probably would, if they could.....

 

[ValSalva]

They don't really care. They've done enough to cover their hineys legally by providing the mechanism to filter by age. The fact that you can lie about your age makes it your problem, not Apple's.

Maybe that's where the fingerprint sensor comes in. Maybe it will connect to some giant database and actually confirm age based on birth records. See, PRISM is there to protect us

 

[iMacBooked]

I find it a bit odd that they haven't updated the guidelines to explicitly permit some of the things they've let slide for a while.

That's exactly what I was thinking too! Indeed weird.