Apple Updates App Store Review Guidelines, Gets Stricter On Kids’ Apps And Gambling

Apple has gone and updated its App Store Review Guidelines and has implemented a few new rules that developers must now follow.

One thing that Apple has focused on in its revisions is regarding children users under the age of 13, following the recent expansion of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Here are two revisions that specifically address this issue:

17.3 Apps may ask for date of birth (or use other age-gating mechanisms) only for the purpose of complying with applicable children’s privacy statutes, but must include some useful functionality or entertainment value regardless of the user’s age

17.4 Apps that collect, transmit, or have the capability to share personal information (e.g. name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, persistent identifiers, the ability to chat, or other personal data) from a minor must comply with applicable children’s privacy statutes.

Apple is in the process of introducing dedicated Kids sections on the App Store in iOS 7, and kids under 13 will be able to make iTunes accounts for the first time. There will be the categories ages 5 and under, ages 6-8, and ages 9-11/

The main other revisions Apple made are surrounding gambling apps on the App Store:

20.5 Apps that offer real money gaming (e.g. sports betting, poker, casino games, horse racing) must have necessary licensing and permissions in the locations where the App is used, must be restricted to those locations, and must be free on the App Store

20.6 Apps that use IAP (In-App Purchase) to purchase credit or currency to use in conjunction with real money gaming will be rejected

Apple also added a guideline that bans apps which may “result in physical harm.”

Toby is a writer of word and a lover of Apple, hip-hop, life, and technology.