Apple has allegedly expanded its iPhone app review process to include computerized filtering of submissions, according to Daring Fireball blogger John Gruber. The new "static analysis tools" are designed to catch developers trying to use Apple's private APIs, which the iPhone SDK terms explicitly prohibits.

Apple is believed to restrict use of private APIs because of security concerns or compatibility issues if the features have yet to be finalized. The company has been known to leave the rule unenforced, however, as many apps have been approved even with private APIs.

An undocumented "proximityStateChanged" API was noticed last year in a Google Mobile update, enabling the voice search feature to be initiated by raising the iPhone to the ear. The App Store approval lead to speculation that Apple was providing preferential treatment to the search giant.

The automated filtering process is expected to help the company quickly spot violators of the SDK. It remains unclear if the rules will be strictly enforced, or if a certain amount of flexibility will remain. [via Gizmodo]