You’ve probably heard of People of Wal-Mart, a site showcasing the, uh, dregs of society that can be found shopping at Wal-Mart. (If you haven’t, it’s quite entertaining. No, I’m not affiliated with them in any way.)
An iPhone app, Funny Shoppers, was developed for the site that allowed users to view images from the site within an app, and submit their photos from the app. However, Apple rejected the app, citing obscene content – something that they’ve used many times in the past to ban apps that they don’t like.
So, the developers, Alkali Media, decided to remove photos of any people from the app. Yep, still offensive…
Yet, Apple later approved an app, Shopper Fail, which used the same content! Apple wouldn’t comment on it, and it took a cease and desist to stop the second app from being distributed.
Apple eventually suggests that Alkali Media remove all references to Wal-Mart from the app. Alright, so they do so. Several MONTHS later, Apple approves the app.
A day later, after it becomes fairly popular? They pull the app, citing offensive content again.
What?
Apple, stop jerking developers around. Developers make your platform what it is, and if you keep jerking them around, they’ll jump ship to Android. You’re also hurting your customers by doing this – not everyone wants you to be their moral police.
Source: Gizmodo