Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) has unveiled its updated App Store guidelines after the World Developers Conference. Among these guidelines was a new rule that gave Apple the full rights to ban a “commercialized app or template generation Service.”
Experts familiar with the matter came forward to offer their explanations in relation to the issue. According to them, it was part of the company’s larger App Store cleanup and its aim was to rid the marketplace of various low-quality clone and spam apps.
Matters are slowly taking on a different twist though. A large number of companies that believed they were in the clear are waking up to the reality that they are also being affected. Most of the companies have been given a January deadline and after that line is crossed any new apps submitted will be rejected by the App Store Review team. Meanwhile, there is quite a number that has maintained its existing apps to this point. However, it still remains unclear as to how long that might be going on.
The expanded policy enforcement serves numerous purposes but it is also important to point out that it is rather unfair that these app makers mostly target the small business market. The app makers focus on building apps for those businesses that are lacking in terms of the internal resources required in coming up with their own internal resources to build their own apps. They also help iOS app from scratch.
Apple’s spokesperson said, “Instead, these companies help small businesses like local retailers, restaurants, small fitness studios, nonprofits, churches and other organizations to create an app presence using templates, drag-and-drop wizards and various tools to put together a more basic app that can then be customized further with their own branding and images.”
The new move by Apple is in a major way blocking a significant number of small businesses from the App Store and the matters has reached the congress which is at the moment reviewing the matter.