All articles tagged with #appstore
Apple briefly removed Telegram from the iOS App Store after finding content that violated its policy against child sexual abuse material; the app was restored minutes later after the developer removed the content and banned the user who posted it. Telegram has faced removals before (2018 globally, 2023 in Brazil, 2024 in China), and remains available on other platforms such as the Mac App Store and Google Play.
Apple has removed the women's safety app Tea from the App Store due to violations of content moderation and privacy policies, following multiple data breaches and complaints about user data exposure, especially involving minors.
Nintendo has launched Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete for iPhone as a paid app, marking a shift from its previous free-to-play model with in-app purchases. Priced at $9.99 initially, the cost will rise to $19.99 after January 30. The game includes content from the original Pocket Camp, new features, and allows players to import designs from Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This move is a departure from the typical ad-driven or in-app purchase models prevalent in mobile gaming.
Apple is seeking $73.4 million from Epic Games to cover its legal expenses after winning an antitrust case. The Supreme Court declined to hear separate requests from both companies, effectively closing the case. Apple has won on every count except one regarding its "anti-steering" rule, which it promptly addressed. The company is now seeking reimbursement from Epic for its litigation expenses, based on Epic's original violation of its developer agreement. The court has set a date of March 5, 2024 to hear Apple's claim about the fees owed.
After the conclusion of the Epic Games vs Apple case, Epic Games has been ordered to pay Apple over $73 million in legal fees. This amount is a discounted rate, with a hearing scheduled for March 24, 2024, to address additional costs incurred by Apple during the ongoing litigation. The fees stem from Epic Games breaching its developer agreement with Apple when it attempted to introduce its own payment system, sparking a three-year legal battle between the two companies.
The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly close to filing a comprehensive antitrust lawsuit against Apple, potentially within the next six months. The investigation focuses on Apple's control over its ecosystem, including the integration of its services with hardware like the Apple Watch, the exclusivity of iMessage, and the company's policies that limit competitors in areas such as payment processing and app tracking. The DOJ has been in talks with various companies affected by Apple's practices, including Beeper, Tile, and Meta. This comes amidst a broader push by the federal government to regulate Big Tech, with ongoing cases against Google, Meta, and Amazon.
Apple has rejected the new HEY Calendar app from the App Store, citing violations of its rules, which has sparked frustration from Basecamp co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson. He accuses Apple of using "bullying tactics" and seeking an "extortionate 30%" fee, referencing a similar dispute over the HEY email app in 2020. Despite a previous exception for HEY in the App Store Review Guidelines, Apple's stance remains that the app lacks functionality upon download, which is against their policies. The conflict highlights ongoing tensions between developers and Apple's App Store policies.
Microsoft has expanded the availability of its AI companion app, Copilot, to Apple's iOS, making it accessible for iPhone and iPad users. The app, which features ChatGPT 4 and DALL-E 3 technologies for chat assistance and text-to-image generation, is now downloadable from the App Store. Copilot offers a comprehensive generative AI experience without the need for a sign-in and is free to use. It is also compatible with Macs running on Apple silicon.
Amazon's Appstore for Android on Windows 11 has officially launched after 18 months in preview. In partnership with Microsoft, the Appstore utilizes the Windows Subsystem for Android to provide a seamless experience for running Android apps on PCs. Popular apps like Audible, TikTok, and Hungry Shark Evolution are now available on Windows 11 without the need for a separate desktop version. While the Appstore initially had a limited number of apps, it has since expanded, offering developers the opportunity to bring their Android apps to Windows 11. The Appstore is available in several countries and can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft Store.