Apple has expressed surprise in its response filed with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, for an investigation into developer concerns regarding the App Store review process. The commission has been reaching out to developers to understand their concerns regarding both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, and will be publishing its report by the end of this month.
“Apple is surprised to hear that developers have legitimate concerns about their ability to engage with Apple in the app review process”
In its response, Apple says that it is surprised that developers have “legitimate concerns” with their ability to contact Apple for the app review process.
As outlined in our meeting of 23 February 2021, Apple is surprised to hear that developers have legitimate concerns about their ability to engage with Apple in the app review process in circumstances where the purpose of app review is to ensure the quality of apps on the App Store and Apple invests significant time and resources in engaging with developers directly to work together to achieve that shared goal.
It also outlined various facts regarding its review process and shared that 73% of app submissions are reviewed within 24 hours, and any app rejections are communicated to the developer with a reason and details of how it does not comply with App Store guidelines. The company also outlined, along with a screenshot of App Store Connect, how developers can correspond with Apple staff members who reviewed their app to help resolve issues.
Apple shared that developers can also file a formal appeal with its App Store Review Board, as well as contact Apple’s support line available in 175 countries. To highlight its local efforts, Apple listed its Developer Relations teams’ work, which provides support and guidance to help in creating apps in Australia and New Zealand for iOS.
This is not the first time, and likely not the last either when a developer has expressed disappointment with Apple’s App Store review process. A former App Store head had accused Apple of using App Store rules “as a weapon against competitors”. In the face of increasing scrutiny around the world, Apple continues to stress that its app review process focuses on ensuring that its customers stay secure and their data remains private from malicious apps.
Read more:
