Apple announced an upcoming change to the App Store rules that could mark a major change in the way the market works. Developers will soon be able to challenge not only the rejection of an application, but the rule that caused the rejection. Bug fixes will also no longer be blocked by rule violations.
In a blog post about changes for apps and developers, Apple noted these major additions with remarkably little fanfare:
First, developers will not only be able to appeal decisions regarding whether or not an application of the guidelines given by the App Store Review has been violated, but will also have a mechanism to challenge the guideline itself. Second, for apps that are already on the App Store, bug fixes will no longer be delayed from violation of the guidelines, except for those related to legal issues.
App Store rules made headlines this week due to a monetization crash that saw new email service Hey kicked off the platform due to reluctance to share revenue subscription with Apple.
While the problem is not new and it seems unlikely that a renowned play like Hey (from Basecamp co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson) did not know it would happen, it is not the first criticism of 'One size apple. any business model for applications.
In an interview with ClearTipsNews, Phil Schiller of Apple said the company is not considering any changes to the rules that would allow Hey - and other apps with similar models - to run on the App Store without giving up on a significant reduction in revenue.
But even if Apple has no plans to change the rules at once, it seems from today's announcement that the rules could change finally. The exact way in which developer comments would be solicited, processed, and weighed is not covered, but we can probably expect to find out more during the many development sessions this week (and during which suggestions will start without any doubt to be submitted).
The second change takes some of the pressure off of application developers who may find themselves, like Hey, unable to provide security updates due to business issues. The separation of the two seems fair, because Apple does not want its users to be in danger because the negotiations are not over. It reduces the size of the stick that Apple wields against recalcitrant developers, but ultimately results in less risk for everyone involved.
Changes to the App Store rules will arrive this summer, and more details will likely be forthcoming by then.
