Wi-Fi detection apps removes from iPhone App Store
Apple’s efforts to confuse app developers even more about what is and isn’t allowed in the iPhone App Store continue today with the ousting of Wi-Fi detection apps.
The popular iPhone App Store seems to be either getting more rules about what it allows in, or it has suddenly started being a bit more strict about existing rules, no one is quite sure which it is. Just last week there was a situation where over 5,000 apps got banned for being too sexually suggestive. While some of the criteria listed as not being allowed on the App Store was questionable at best — pictures of girls in ice skating costumes were banned — it did seem to be a cleaning up of the store before the launch of the iPad.
This week brings us an even stranger story of app banning. The Register is reporting that Apple has banned Wi-Fi detection apps for using a “private framework.” What exactly that means is anyone’s guess, but the result is that all of the apps that scan for Wi-Fi networks have been removed. This does not impact applications that are databases of Wi-Fi hotspots that work in conjunction with the built-in GPS in iPhones, or allow you to enter an address to search for nearby ones from static information.
One app developer explained to The Register, “We received a very unfortunate email today from Apple stating that WiFi Where has been removed from sale on the App Store for using private frameworks to access wireless information.” When the developer asked which rule they were violating, they were not told.
While it is easy to explain away the removal of the so-called sexy apps, this one is just puzzling. The iPhone and iPod Touch are both capable of looking for nearby Wi-Fi, although they don’t do the best job of it. There have been some rules where Apple has said apps may not duplicate functions of the devices, but this has taken so long that it just doesn’t make sense.
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October 8th, 2011
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