Apple has rejected three apps - all of which had previously been accepted to the App Store - over concerns about adult content and ratings. Not adult content that's actually in the apps, but rather content that could be accessed.
The apps in question are:
- Fast Finder - a web search tool
- Chirp! Bird Songs - a bird song identification app
- News Addict - a tool for collecting news articles from various sources
The rejection is due to the fact that all three apps have the ability to connect to the Internet without a filter, which could potentially allow minors to access inappropriate content. Apple is now requesting that all three apps by rated 17+, rather than 4+ as they had previously been, to reflect the possibility that adult content could be accessed.
This situation is, of course, odd. Anything that can connect to the Internet can potentially access adult material. Including Apple's Safari web browser included on the iPhone. That alone seems like a poor standard to hold apps to, especially since Safari isn't restricted to users 17 and older.
It also points to the continued need for clearer, more consistent, more equally applied rules for how apps be categorized and what apps will get into the App Store and why. This has been an ongoing concern for app developers and things seem not to be getting too much better.