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Less than a week ago, Apple pulled AppGratis from the App Store. The banning was based on a new rule on Apple’s part, guideline 2.25, that states “Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected.” Today, the developers of the offending app are protesting the ban by petitioning users to send emails to Apple in support of allowing AppGratis back into the App Store.
According to TechCrunch, AppGratis has supposedly been selling its ability to drive titles upward in ranks to developers by taking money in exchange for promoting their apps.
This is in violation of Apple’s Terms and Conditions, and is the reason the app was pulled from the App Store. The CEO of AppGratis, Simon Dawlat, confirmed that Apple cited guideline 2.25 and guideline 5.6, which refers to push notifications that include advertising, promotion, and direct marketing, as the reason for the removal of the app. You can read the TechCrunch article for Dawlat’s response to the allegations.
The petition allows users to directly send an email to save@appgrat.is that shows support for the app. Additionally, users can send or retweet their sentiments on Twitter.
From the SaveAppGratis petition website, “Today we believe it’s you, Apple’s customers, who should have the final word. Today, you can speak up. Tell Apple that you think different.”
This tactic may prove fruitless since Apple doesn’t take kindly to loud complaints against it. Instead, you can capture more flies with quiet negotiations in this situation. AppGratis may have just signed its own death certificate by asking users to sign their petition.
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Apple Restricts In-App Promotion, Is This The End of ‘Free App’ Apps?
Apple Working to Address App Store Crashing Issue
