In the Apple world, an application may be inappropriate one day, but acceptable the next day. That’s what the developer of Amphetamine-The app designed to prevent Macs from going to sleep, which is useful in situations like when a file is being downloaded or when a specific application is running – I recently learned when Apple contacted him and said that his application violated the guidelines of Company App Store.
Amphetamine developer William Gustafson posted an account of the incident and his experience with the Apple App Store review team on GitHub on Friday. In the post, Gustafson explained that Apple contacted him on December 29 and told him that Amphetamine, which has been on the Mac App Store for six years, suddenly started violating one of the company’s App Store guidelines. Specifically, Gustafson said that Apple claimed that amphetamine seemed to promote inappropriate use of controlled substances due to its own name – amphetamines are used to treat ADHD—And because its icon includes a pill.
Gizmodo contacted Gustafson via direct messages on Twitter and confirmed his account via screenshots of the conversation with Apple shared by the developer. We also contacted Apple to ask for a comment on the matter, but received no response.
“As we discussed, we found that your app includes content that some users may find disturbing, offensive or otherwise objectionable,” an Apple representative told Gustafson on December 29, according to a screenshot shared with Gizmodo. “Specifically, your app’s name and icon include references to controlled substances, pills.”
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The representative then opened the App Store Guideline 1.4.3, which refers to safety and physical damage. The guideline is as follows:
“Apps that encourage the consumption of tobacco and steam products, illegal drugs or excessive amounts of alcohol are not allowed on the App Store. Applications that encourage minors to consume any of these substances will be rejected. Facilitating the sale of marijuana, tobacco or controlled substances (except in licensed pharmacies) is not allowed. ”
To solve the problem, the Apple representative said that Gustafson had to remove all content that encourages the inappropriate use of drugs or alcohol. Gustafson explained in his post on Github that Apple had threatened to remove Amphetamine from the Mac App Store on January 12 if it did not comply with the change request.
If all of this is looking a little wild to you, it is because it really is. Although Amphetamine uses its name and brand to lightly convey the fact that the application will prevent your Mac from falling asleep, it does nothing that violates Guideline 1.4.3. Anyone using the application knows that it was designed specifically to prevent the computer from going to sleep when you don’t want to. And if the pill icon bothers you for some reason, you can change it to several different options, from a cup of coffee or kettle to an owl or emoji to sleep.
Gustafson also opposed Apple’s reasoning to target amphetamine, saying the app does not promote the use of legal or illegal drugs, nor does it facilitate the sale of controlled substances. Apple was also not applying its guidelines fairly and consistently, argued Gustafson in his post on Github.
As an example, he cited other applications, such as Coke, which is also used to prevent Macs from hibernating. The coca icon includes a leaf, and the coca plant can be used to make cocaine. Gustafson also pointed to Drug Mafia – Weed Pawn Shop, a game for iPad in which players need to “build [their] reputation with suppliers ”and“ grow [their] empire and become a dealer ”, among other tasks, according to the description of the application. iBeer, another application for iPad given as an example by Gustafson, is also on the App Store. Simulates drinking beer on your phone.
“You can find many other apps on the App Store that promote the irresponsible use of legal and illegal drugs or glorify the manufacture and sale of illegal drugs. These other apps were not removed from the App Store or forced to change the brand, ”wrote Gustafson.
The developer also argued that Apple’s problem with the app now made no sense, since the company itself had promoted Amphetamine as one of its featured apps on the App Store. He stated that in all his interactions with Apple employees over the years, and every time they had in fact, it made you change things like your preview images or the default behavior of the application in the menu bar, the Amphetamine brand identity was never questioned. Gustafson said over six years at Amphetamine on the App Store that he sent 41 application updates or orders for Apple to review.
Gustafson said that his application, which is free, has been downloaded more than 432,800 times and that it currently has more than 1,400 reviews and a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating on the U.S. Mac App Store. In addition to his post on the GitHub incident, Gustafson also created a Change.org petition – which at the time of publication had collected more than 550 signatures – and also encouraged supporters to retain it in Twitter and vote for your post on Reddit.
In this case, Gustafson managed to make Apple see the absurdity of his methods. The developer told Gizmodo on Saturday that the appeal he filed against alleged violations of the App Store guidelines was accepted and the problem resolved.
“[T]The App Review Board considered your appeal and determined that the original rejection was invalid, ”an Apple representative told Gustafson on Saturday. “We found that the app does not violate the App Store Review Guideline 1.4.3, as the app uses the term ‘Amphetamine’ metaphorically and is not intended to promote drug use.”
Gustafson told Gizmodo that this means he will leave Amphetamine as is and will not change the brand or identity, adding that most of the responses he received during this incident were in support of maintaining the application as it was. However, this does not mean that Amphetamine is free from any future problems with the big tech giant.
“I am hopeful that the next (and subsequent) updates will take place without any objection from Apple, but just as this problem came out of nowhere, there may be something else that Apple suddenly disagrees with,” Gustafson told Gizmodo. “It’s a really unfortunate side effect of distributing apps through the App Store. As a developer, you simply have no idea if Apple is going to shut you down one day. Frankly, I am grateful to have a “normal” job from 9 am to 5 pm that pays the bills. I don’t depend on revenue from App Store sales like many other developers. ”