App rejected for obscure violation of SDK rules

Vanity Fair columnist and Newser blogger Michael Wolff has criticized Apple for rejecting his Newser iPhone app. Wolff suggests the rejection was likely driven by his vocal descriptions of Steve Jobs, such as the recent story "Is Steve Jobs Off His Meds?" which labeled him "cocky sonofab---" following the CEO's suggestion that folks who want porn can buy an Android phone.

Apple cited its SDK terms in the rejection response, which claimed the app did not provide "sufficient amounts of content to appeal to a broad audience."

"Putting aside the fact that this pretty much makes specialty content ineligible for iPhone or iPad apps, it’s also a pretty fudgy standard," Wolff argues. "For instance, I get a bigger readership for my online columns than I do for my Vanity Fair columns—so Vanity Fair shouldn’t make the cut?"

Other developers have expressed similar frustration with the App Store review process. Many claim that Apple arbitrarily enforces its SDK guidelines, which are written in language that leaves a large margin of uncertainty.

"What we have now, suddenly, is one of the most mercurial and paranoid and unusual men in American business—willing to swear out a warrant if you cross him—telling you what you can and cannot read," Wolff writes. [via Fortune]

by MacNN Staff