Apple told this developer its app ‘promotes’ drugs

In Apple’s world, an app might be inappropriate one day, but okay the next. This is what the developer of Amphetamine-a app designed to prevent Macs from falling asleep, which is useful in situations such as when a file is being downloaded or when a specific application is running – recently learned when Apple came in contact with it and told him that his app violated the company’s App Store guidelines.

Amphetamine developer William Gustafson published 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 App’s guidelines. Company store. Specifically, Gustafson said Apple claims amphetamine appears to promote the inappropriate use of controlled substances given its very name – amphetamines are used to treat ADHD– and because its icon includes a pill.

Gizmodo reached out to Gustafson via Twitter direct messages and confirmed his account via screenshots of the conversation with Apple shared by the developer. We have also reached out to Apple to request a comment on this, but have not received a response.

“As we discussed, we found that your app includes content that some users may find upsetting, offensive or otherwise objectionable,” an Apple representative told Gustafson on Dec. 29 according to a screenshot shared with Gizmodo. “More specifically, your app name and icon include references to controlled substances, pills.”

The representative then referred to the App Store Guideline 1.4.3, which concerns safety and physical damage. The directive reads as follows:

“Apps that promote the use of tobacco and vaping products, illegal drugs or excessive amounts of alcohol are not permitted on the App Store. Applications which encourage minors to consume any of these substances will be rejected. Facilitating the sale of marijuana, tobacco or controlled substances (except licensed pharmacies) is prohibited. ”

To resolve the issue, the Apple representative said Gustafson needs to remove any content that promotes inappropriate drug or alcohol use. Gustafson explained in his article on Github that Apple threatened to remove Amphetamine from the Mac App Store on January 12 if it did not obey its request for changes.

If this all sounds a bit wild to you, that’s because it is. Although Amphetamine uses its name and branding to lightly express that the app will prevent your Mac from falling asleep, it does nothing that violates guideline 1.4.3. Anyone who uses the app knows that it’s designed specifically to keep your computer from going to sleep when you don’t want it to. And if the pill icon bothers you for some reason, you can change it to a number of different options, from a coffee mug or tea kettle to a sleeping owl or emoji.

Gustafson also objected to Apple’s reasoning for targeting amphetamine, saying the app does not promote the use of legal or illegal drugs and does not facilitate the sale of controlled substances. Apple was also not applying its guidelines fairly and consistently, Gustafson argued in his post on Github.

As an example, he cited other applications, such as Coca, which is also used to prevent Macs from falling asleep. The coca icon includes a leaf and the coca plant can be used to make cocaine. Gustafson also pointed out Drug Mafia – Weed Pawn Shop, an iPad game where players have to “build [their] reputation with suppliers “and” grow [their] empire and become a drug lord ”, among other tasks, according to the app description. iBeer, another iPad application given as an example by Gustafson, is also available on the App Store. It simulates the consumption of beer on your phone.

“You can find many other apps on the App Store that encourage the irresponsible use of legal and illegal drugs, or outright glorify the manufacture and sale of illegal drugs. These other apps were not removed from the App Store or forced to change their names, ”Gustafson wrote.

The developer also argued that Apple had an issue with the app now made no sense since the company itself had promoted Amphetamine as one of its Featured Apps in the App Store. He claimed that in all of his interactions with Apple employees over the years, and every time had in fact made him change things like his preview screenshots or the app’s default behavior in the menu bar, Amphetamine’s brand identity had never been questioned. Gustafson said that in Amphetamine’s six years in the App Store, he has submitted 41 app updates or submissions to Apple for review.

Gustafson said his app, which is free, has been downloaded over 432,800 times and currently has over 1,400 reviews and a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating in the US Mac App Store. Besides his article about the incident on GitHub, Gustafson also created a Change.org petition – which at the time of publication had collected more than 550 signatures – and also encouraged supporters to retweet it on Twitter and vote for his message on Reddit.

In this case, Gustafson managed to get Apple to see the absurdity of his ways. The developer told Gizmodo on Saturday that the appeal he filed against the alleged violation of App Store guidelines was accepted and the issue resolved.

“[T]“App Review Board has reviewed your appeal and determined that the original rejection was invalid,” an Apple representative told Gustafson on Saturday. “We found that the app did not violate App Store review guideline 1.4.3 because the app uses the term ‘amphetamine’ metaphorically and is not intended to promote the consumption of drugs.”

Gustafson told Gizmodo that this means he will leave Amphetamine as is and will not change the brand or identity, adding that the majority of responses he received in this incident were in favor of keeping the app. as is. Still, that doesn’t mean Amphetamine is free from any future issues with the big tech giant.

“Hopefully the next (and subsequent) updates go without any objections from Apple, but just as this issue apparently appeared out of nowhere, there might be something else that Apple suddenly disagrees, ”Gustafson told Gizmodo. “It’s a really unfortunate side effect of distributing apps through the App Store. As a developer, you just don’t know if Apple is ever going to shut you down. Quite frankly, I’m grateful to have a “regular” 9-5 job that pays the bills. I am not dependent on App Store sales revenue like many other developers. “