DoNotPay IAP Shakedown
Just got a call from Apple. The DoNotPay App will be removed by them in 5 minutes because “the app is too App Store like.” Each @DoNotPayLaw service needs to be a separate app and give 30% to Apple, violating guidelines 3.1.1 and 3.2.2(i) respectively.
When I asked: “why did they approve us for years and not have any problem,” the lady indicated that the policy had changed during the pandemic and government service apps are now required to process payments and give 30% to Apple through In-App Purchase.
When I tried to make the free client (like Netflix) under the new guideline “3.1.3(f) Free Stand-alone Apps,” they said it doesn’t apply to us and we must use iAP if we want to have an app.
Tim Cook told Congress that Apple was not taking advantage of the pandemic and had not added any fees. It had only “exempted additional categories of apps.” So why does this keep happening? Who told App Review to trawl through longstanding apps and threaten that they must add IAP? And why has this continued after the high-profile WordPress fiasco in August?
DECISION REVERSED: APP BACK ON THE STORE. They admitted they made a mistake. Sunlight and transparency solves all problems, but not all developers are active on Twitter.
It’s a double failure that apps are in danger of removal even though they didn’t violate the guidelines and that this cannot be resolved using the official channels.
Apple keeps abusing their monopoly and only in case the victim has enough outreach and can make enough fuzz they decide to reverse the decisions. Just how many other devs do not have that outreach and get bullied at will.
Previously:
- New Apple Store Guidelines for Reader Apps
- WordPress Bug Fixes Blocked Over IAP
- Tim Cook’s App Store Testimony
- HEY Rejected From the App Store
