Apple censors 'Android' from iPhone AppStore

Screen shot 2010-02-06 at 4.37.18 PM The iPhone AppStore has and always will be controlled Apple’s iron-fisted app approval team, which is fine, because that usually means iPhone users can expect reliable and high quality apps. But, when Apple uses its control over the AppStore to censor more than just “adult” content, it starts to feel a little Big Brother-ish. Finding itself directly at odds with Google’s Android platform, Apple has reportedly prohibited an iPhone app from mentioning “Android” in the app’s description. The Flash of Genius iPhone app’s description wasn’t obscene or erotic in any way, it just happened to mention Google’s Android Development Challenge.

Having Apple filter apps through its “decency” screen is one thing, but to censor an app’s description of the word “Android” just rubs us the wrong way. This is the notice that the developer of Flash of Genius, Tim Novikoff, got from Apple:

“During our review of your application, we found that your application contains inappropriate or irrelevant platform information in the Application Description and/or Release Notes sections.

“While your application has not been rejected, it would be appropriate to remove ‘Finalist in Google’s Android Developer’s Challenge!’ from the Application Description.

“Please log into iTunes Connect to make appropriate changes to the Application Description now to avoid an interruption in the availability of Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab 2.2 on the iPhone App Store.”

Now, Apple didn’t come right out and say it, but it’s clear that Apple would drop the Flash of Genius app if the developer didn’t remove its claim to fame in the Android space. The app is live on the AppStore at the time of this writing, sans any references to the mobile operating system that shall not be named.

Is it right? We say no, but you might disagree. Either way, let us know what you think in the comments below!

[Via: PCWorld]

About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

Steven

Idiots. This is why I will never own apple anything!
Don

Who cares??? Whiny Bitches.
stoneworrior

Apple can suck my celery. These a holes need to be taken down a couple of notches. I was happy to see them get their head above water with the release of the iPhone but they have turned out to be the typical American Corp. They thumbs their nose at the people who made them successful in the first place, that would be the consumer.
Donald Kelly

Considering the amount of times I see “Android” uses sans the Trademark Symbol, I have to think that this is more Apple trying to reduce the mentions of “Android” in the app store, even though I feel it’s totally wrong to do so.
Brian S Hall

If you type in (iPhone + Android, or Android iPhone) in the App Store search box, my app shows up! Rage against the machine!

[brianshall]
The Chosen

Poor sweet Apple, did another pretty girl crash her party?
David

I would like to see an Apple App Reviewer team comment on this — we can speculate and make assumptions and do some name calling but none of this is going to help the next app developer from falling into some kind of a difficulty with the App review team. If it is just censorship or a trademark issue — then come out and say it — ‘we don’t want to promote another company’s product on our web store’ or something like that — we are all adults and can live with that (may not agree with it…but anyways we can all take it and understand it).

Thanks Apple, looking forward to hearing from you further.
SpaceSquirrel

From Apple’s “App Store Review Guidelines”:
“3.1 0 Apps with metadata that mentions the name of any other mobile platform will be rejected”
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/09/apples-app-store-review-guidelines-we-dont-need-any-more-far/

This is yet another reason I STRONGLY prefer Android.