IOS App Rules Updated
Thursday August 15,2013 : APPLE UPDATES RULES FOR IOS APPS
New App Store guidelines published
Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines, introducing a number of new rules that include more precise guidelines regarding apps for children in light of its upcoming educational policy changes and the expansion of the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act earlier this year.
COPPA's new rules prevent developers from collecting information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. The restrictions include access to photographs, video, and audio.
Here's a quick take on relevant passages:
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 has created a new section on "Kids Apps" as it prepares to implement iOS 7. As part of its efforts to increase iOS device usage in schools, Apple will allow children under age 13 to own and operate individual iTunes accounts for the first time.
Apps for children under aged 13 must include a privacy policy, may not include behavioural advertising, and must ask for parental permission before allowing children to link out of the app or engage in commerce.
Apps in the Kids Category of the App Store must be made specifically for children "ages 5 and under, ages 6–8, or ages 9–11."
The new Apple guidelines include provisions related to gambling:
* Apps that offer real money gaming are now required to be free and are forbidden from using in-app purchases to offer players credit or currency to use in such games.
* Apps that offer real money gaming (e.g. sports betting, poker, casino games, horse racing) must have the necessary jurisdictional 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
* Apps that use IAP to purchase credit or currency to use in conjunction with real money gaming will be rejected.
The full guidelines can be accessed on the Apple developers’ website.
