Apple has revised an App Store guideline that was designed to curb spam apps but instead threatened to wipe out thousands of apps for local restaurants, churches and other small businesses, The Washington Post report.
The policy change, and the controversy surrounding it, illustrate just how much power Apple and its guidelines have over the $143 billion app market.
Apple’s original rule was introduced in June and unilaterally banned apps made from a template—a technique some developers use to churn out low-quality apps that clog up the store and aren’t worth a download. But the rule, which was set to go into effect in January, also ended up catching legitimate developers that help small companies make their own apps.
Advertisement
