Apple says ‘random or anonymous chat’ apps no longer welcome on the App Store
Summary
Apple has revised its App Review Guidelines, broadening the criteria for removing user-generated content from the App Store without prior notice. This update aims to enhance user safety and maintain content quality within the platform.
Key Insights
What specific types of anonymous chat apps is Apple targeting with this new policy?
Apple's updated guidelines target 'random or anonymous chat' apps, which the policy describes as 'Chatroulette-style experiences' and random or anonymous chat services. These are apps that facilitate connections between users without requiring identity verification and are often used for unmoderated conversations. The policy groups these apps with other problematic content categories including pornographic content, bullying, physical threats, and objectification of real people. While the policy doesn't name specific apps, analysts suggest it may be related to apps like bitchat (Jack Dorsey's peer-to-peer chat application) and reflects concerns about how anonymous platforms can enable harassment, particularly among younger users who are frequent users of such services.
Why is Apple removing these apps without advance notice, and what are the broader implications?
Apple's policy allows removal of random or anonymous chat apps 'without notice,' meaning developers won't receive a warning before their app is taken down. This approach reflects Apple's effort to streamline enforcement against apps that facilitate harmful behavior. The policy update may serve multiple purposes: protecting minors from bullying and intimidation on anonymous platforms, and providing Apple with clearer legal justification for removing apps—particularly following criticism of its previous removal of ICE-Block and similar apps under vague 'objectionable content' policies. By explicitly naming 'random or anonymous chat' as a prohibited category, Apple is establishing a more transparent rule that gives the company clearer authority to remove such apps going forward, rather than relying on subjective interpretations of existing guidelines.