<s>
The	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
is	O
an	O
app	B-Application
marketplace	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
maintained	O
by	O
Apple	O
Inc.	O
,	O
for	O
mobile	B-Application
apps	I-Application
on	O
its	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
and	O
iPadOS	B-Operating_System
operating	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
store	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
browse	O
and	O
download	O
approved	O
apps	O
developed	O
within	O
Apple	O
's	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
SDK	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apps	O
can	O
be	O
downloaded	O
on	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
,	O
iPod	B-Device
Touch	I-Device
,	O
or	O
iPad	B-Device
,	O
and	O
some	O
can	O
be	O
transferred	O
to	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
Watch	I-Device
smartwatch	O
or	O
4th-generation	O
or	O
newer	O
Apple	B-Device
TVs	I-Device
as	O
extensions	O
of	O
iPhone	B-Application
apps	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
was	O
opened	O
on	O
July	O
10	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
initial	O
500	O
applications	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Apple	O
touts	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
in	O
creating	O
new	O
jobs	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
app	O
economy	O
"	O
and	O
claims	O
to	O
have	O
paid	O
over	O
$155	O
billion	O
to	O
developers	O
,	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
has	O
also	O
attracted	O
criticism	O
from	O
developers	O
and	O
government	O
regulators	O
that	O
it	O
operates	O
a	O
monopoly	O
and	O
that	O
Apple	O
's	O
30%	O
cut	O
of	O
revenues	O
from	O
the	O
store	O
is	O
excessive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
Netherlands	O
Authority	O
for	O
Consumers	O
and	O
Markets	O
(	O
ACM	O
)	O
concluded	O
that	O
in-app	O
commissions	O
from	O
Apple	O
’s	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
are	O
anti-competitive	O
and	O
would	O
demand	O
that	O
Apple	O
change	O
its	O
in-app	O
payment	O
system	O
policies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
originally	O
developing	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
prior	O
to	O
its	O
unveiling	O
in	O
2007	O
,	O
Apple	O
's	O
then-CEO	O
Steve	O
Jobs	O
did	O
not	O
intend	O
to	O
let	O
third-party	O
developers	O
build	O
native	O
apps	O
for	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
,	O
instead	O
directing	O
them	O
to	O
make	O
web	B-Application
applications	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Safari	B-Application
web	I-Application
browser	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
backlash	O
from	O
developers	O
prompted	O
the	O
company	O
to	O
reconsider	O
,	O
with	O
Jobs	O
announcing	O
in	O
October	O
2007	O
that	O
Apple	O
would	O
have	O
a	O
software	B-Application
development	I-Application
kit	I-Application
available	O
for	O
developers	O
by	O
February	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
opened	O
on	O
July	O
10	O
,	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
11	O
,	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
3G	I-Operating_System
was	O
released	O
and	O
came	O
pre-loaded	O
with	O
support	O
for	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Apple	O
's	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
and	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
similar	B-Application
services	I-Application
by	O
its	O
competitors	O
,	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
"	O
has	O
been	O
adopted	O
to	O
refer	O
to	O
any	O
similar	O
service	O
for	O
mobile	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Apple	O
applied	O
for	O
a	O
U.S.	O
trademark	O
on	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
"	O
in	O
2008	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
tentatively	O
approved	O
in	O
early	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2011	O
,	O
U.S.	O
District	O
Judge	O
Phyllis	O
Hamilton	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
presiding	O
over	O
Apple	O
's	O
case	O
against	O
Amazon	B-Application
,	O
said	O
she	O
would	O
"	O
probably	O
"	O
deny	O
Apple	O
's	O
motion	O
to	O
stop	O
Amazon	B-Application
from	O
using	O
the	O
"	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
"	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
,	O
Apple	O
was	O
denied	O
preliminary	O
injunction	O
against	O
Amazon	B-Application
's	O
Appstore	O
by	O
a	O
federal	O
judge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
App	O
"	O
has	O
been	O
used	O
as	O
shorthand	O
for	O
"	O
application	B-Application
"	O
since	O
at	O
least	O
the	O
late	O
1970s	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
product	O
names	O
since	O
at	O
least	O
2006	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
then-named	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Apps	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
announced	O
Mac	B-Application
App	I-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
a	O
similar	O
app	O
distribution	O
platform	O
for	O
its	O
macOS	B-Application
personal	O
computer	O
operating	O
system	O
,	O
in	O
October	O
2010	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
official	O
launch	O
taking	O
place	O
in	O
January	O
2011	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
its	O
10.6.6	B-Device
"	I-Device
Snow	I-Device
Leopard	I-Device
"	I-Device
update	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
at	O
its	O
developer	O
conference	O
,	O
Apple	O
announced	O
an	O
upcoming	O
"	O
Kids	O
"	O
section	O
in	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
a	O
new	O
section	O
featuring	O
apps	O
categorized	O
by	O
age	O
range	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
section	O
was	O
launched	O
alongside	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
7	I-Operating_System
in	O
September	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recode	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
The	O
app	O
boom	O
is	O
over	O
"	O
,	O
an	O
editorial	O
in	O
TechCrunch	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
The	O
air	O
of	O
hopelessness	O
that	O
surrounds	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
app	I-Application
ecosystem	O
is	O
obvious	O
and	O
demoralizing	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
The	O
Verge	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
original	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
model	O
of	O
selling	O
apps	O
for	O
a	O
buck	O
or	O
two	O
looks	O
antiquated	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2016	O
,	O
in	O
an	O
effort	O
to	O
improve	O
app	O
discoverability	O
,	O
Apple	O
rolled	O
out	O
the	O
ability	O
for	O
developers	O
to	O
purchase	O
advertising	O
spots	O
in	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
to	O
users	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2017	O
,	O
reports	O
surfaced	O
that	O
documentation	O
for	O
a	O
new	O
beta	O
for	O
the	O
then-upcoming	O
release	O
of	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
10.3	O
detailed	O
that	O
Apple	O
would	O
let	O
developers	O
respond	O
to	O
customer	O
reviews	O
in	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
marking	O
a	O
significant	O
change	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
limitation	O
,	O
which	O
prevented	O
developers	O
from	O
communicating	O
with	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
functionality	O
was	O
officially	O
enabled	O
on	O
March	O
27	O
,	O
2017	O
when	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
10.3	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
also	O
offered	O
an	O
iTunes	B-Operating_System
Affiliate	O
Program	O
,	O
which	O
lets	O
people	O
refer	O
others	O
to	O
apps	O
and	O
other	O
iTunes	B-Operating_System
content	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
in-app	O
purchases	O
,	O
for	O
a	O
percentage	O
of	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2017	O
,	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
received	O
a	O
major	O
design	O
overhaul	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
11	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
design	O
features	O
a	O
greater	O
focus	O
on	O
editorial	O
content	O
and	O
daily	O
highlights	O
,	O
and	O
introduces	O
a	O
"	O
cleaner	O
and	O
more	O
consistent	O
and	O
colorful	O
look	O
"	O
similar	O
to	O
several	O
of	O
Apple	O
's	O
built-in	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
September	O
2017	O
,	O
Apple	O
offered	O
a	O
way	O
for	O
users	O
to	O
manage	O
their	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
app	O
purchases	O
through	O
the	O
iTunes	B-Operating_System
computer	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
,	O
version	O
12.7	O
of	O
iTunes	B-Operating_System
was	O
released	O
,	O
removing	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
section	O
in	O
the	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
following	O
month	O
,	O
iTunes	B-Operating_System
12.6.3	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
,	O
retaining	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
with	O
9to5Mac	O
noting	O
that	O
the	O
secondary	O
release	O
was	O
positioned	O
by	O
Apple	O
as	O
"	O
necessary	O
for	O
some	O
businesses	O
performing	O
internal	O
app	O
deployments	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
4	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
Apple	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
had	O
a	O
record-breaking	O
holiday	O
season	O
according	O
to	O
a	O
new	O
press	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
week	O
starting	O
on	O
Christmas	O
Eve	O
,	O
a	O
record	O
number	O
of	O
customers	O
made	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
purchases	O
,	O
spending	O
more	O
than	O
$890	O
million	O
in	O
that	O
seven-day	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2019	O
,	O
Apple	O
launched	O
Apple	O
Arcade	O
,	O
a	O
subscription	O
service	O
for	O
video	O
games	O
within	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
guidelines	O
,	O
the	O
deadline	O
for	O
developers	O
to	O
implement	O
the	O
feature	O
was	O
April	O
30	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
and	O
2020	O
,	O
Apple	O
was	O
frequently	O
criticized	O
by	O
other	O
companies	O
such	O
as	O
Spotify	B-Application
,	O
Airbnb	O
and	O
Hey	O
and	O
regulators	O
for	O
potentially	O
running	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
as	O
a	O
monopoly	O
and	O
overcharging	O
developers	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
target	O
of	O
lawsuits	O
and	O
investigations	O
in	O
the	O
EU	O
and	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
conflict	O
between	O
Epic	O
Games	O
,	O
the	O
creator	O
of	O
the	O
Fortnite	B-Application
game	I-Application
and	O
Apple	O
led	O
to	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
Epic	O
Games	O
v	O
.	O
Apple	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
Apple	O
added	O
support	O
for	O
unlisted	O
apps	O
to	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
in	O
December	O
2022	O
,	O
a	O
report	O
by	O
Bloomberg	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
company	O
had	O
begun	O
making	O
preparations	O
for	O
opening	O
up	O
sideloading	O
and	O
alternative	O
app	B-Application
stores	I-Application
on	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
,	O
as	O
compliance	O
with	O
the	O
EU	O
's	O
Digital	O
Markets	O
Act	O
that	O
had	O
passed	O
in	O
September	O
of	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
same	O
report	O
also	O
noted	O
Apple	O
planned	O
to	O
open	O
up	O
the	O
NFC	O
and	O
camera	O
systems	O
on	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
Find	B-Operating_System
My	I-Operating_System
network	I-Operating_System
to	O
AirTag	B-Operating_System
competitors	O
like	O
Tile	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
SDK	I-Operating_System
(	O
Software	B-Application
development	I-Application
kit	I-Application
)	O
allows	O
for	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
mobile	B-Application
apps	I-Application
on	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
free	O
download	O
for	O
users	O
of	O
Mac	B-Device
personal	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
not	O
available	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
PCs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
SDK	O
contains	O
sets	O
giving	O
developers	O
access	O
to	O
various	O
functions	O
and	O
services	O
of	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
devices	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
hardware	O
and	O
software	O
attributes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
contains	O
an	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
simulator	I-Operating_System
to	O
mimic	O
the	O
look	O
and	O
feel	O
of	O
the	O
device	O
on	O
the	O
computer	O
while	O
developing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
SDK	O
accompany	O
new	O
versions	O
of	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
order	O
to	O
test	O
applications	O
,	O
get	O
technical	O
support	O
,	O
and	O
distribute	O
apps	O
through	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
developers	O
are	O
required	O
to	O
subscribe	O
to	O
the	O
Apple	O
Developer	O
Program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combined	O
with	O
Xcode	B-Operating_System
,	O
the	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
SDK	I-Operating_System
helps	O
developers	O
write	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
apps	O
using	O
officially	O
supported	O
programming	O
languages	O
,	O
including	O
Swift	B-Application
and	O
Objective-C	B-Language
.	O
Other	O
companies	O
have	O
also	O
created	O
tools	O
that	O
allow	O
for	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
native	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
apps	O
using	O
their	O
respective	O
programming	O
languages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
publish	O
apps	O
on	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
developers	O
must	O
pay	O
a	O
$99	O
yearly	O
fee	O
for	O
access	O
to	O
Apple	O
's	O
Developer	O
Program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
with	O
The	O
Verge	O
in	O
June	O
2016	O
,	O
Phil	O
Schiller	O
,	O
Apple	O
's	O
senior	O
vice	O
president	O
of	O
Worldwide	O
Marketing	O
,	O
said	O
that	O
Apple	O
had	O
a	O
"	O
renewed	O
focus	O
and	O
energy	O
"	O
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
and	O
announced	O
multiple	O
significant	O
changes	O
,	O
including	O
advertisements	O
in	O
search	O
results	O
and	O
a	O
new	O
app	O
subscription	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
App	O
data	O
and	O
insights	O
analyst	O
company	O
App	O
Annie	O
released	O
a	O
report	O
in	O
October	O
2016	O
,	O
announcing	O
that	O
China	O
had	O
overtaken	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
as	O
Apple	O
's	O
biggest	O
market	O
in	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
revenue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2017	O
,	O
Apple	O
announced	O
that	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
had	O
generated	O
over	O
$70	O
billion	O
in	O
revenue	O
for	O
developers	O
since	O
its	O
2008	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
is	O
also	O
available	O
on	O
tvOS	B-Operating_System
,	O
the	O
operating	O
system	O
for	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
TV	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
September	O
9	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
Apple	O
September	O
2015	O
event	O
,	O
alongside	O
the	O
4th	O
generation	O
Apple	B-Device
TV	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
tvOS	B-Operating_System
ships	O
with	O
development	O
tools	O
for	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
tvOS	B-Operating_System
adds	O
support	O
for	O
an	O
SDK	O
for	O
developers	O
to	O
build	O
apps	O
for	O
the	O
TV	O
including	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
APIs	O
included	O
in	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
9	O
such	O
as	O
Metal	B-Library
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
developers	O
can	O
now	O
use	O
their	O
own	O
interface	O
inside	O
of	O
their	O
application	B-Application
rather	O
than	O
only	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
use	O
Apple	O
's	O
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
tvOS	B-Operating_System
is	O
based	O
on	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
,	O
it	O
is	O
easy	O
to	O
port	O
existing	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
apps	O
to	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
TV	I-Device
with	O
Xcode	B-Operating_System
while	O
making	O
only	O
a	O
few	O
refinements	O
to	O
the	O
app	O
to	O
better	O
suit	O
the	O
larger	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
provides	O
Xcode	B-Operating_System
free	O
of	O
charge	O
to	O
all	O
registered	O
Apple	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
develop	O
for	O
the	O
new	O
Apple	B-Device
TV	I-Device
,	O
it	O
is	O
necessary	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
parallax	O
image	O
for	O
the	O
application	B-Application
icon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
order	O
to	O
do	O
this	O
,	O
Apple	O
provides	O
a	O
Parallax	O
exporter	O
and	O
previewer	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
tools	O
for	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
TV	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
10	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
Apple	O
's	O
then-CEO	O
Steve	O
Jobs	O
told	O
USA	O
Today	O
that	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
contained	O
500	O
third-party	O
applications	O
for	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
iPod	B-Device
Touch	I-Device
,	O
and	O
of	O
these	O
125	O
were	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
billionth	O
application	B-Application
was	O
downloaded	O
on	O
April	O
24	O
,	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
number	O
of	O
apps	O
on	O
the	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
shrank	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
in	O
2017	O
as	O
Apple	O
began	O
to	O
remove	O
older	O
apps	O
which	O
did	O
not	O
comply	O
with	O
current	O
app	O
guidelines	O
and	O
technologies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
iPad	B-Device
was	O
released	O
in	O
April	O
2010	O
,	O
with	O
approximately	O
3,000	O
apps	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
+Most	O
popular	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
games	O
each	O
yearRank201520162017201820191Trivia	O
CrackPokémon	O
GoSuper	O
Mario	O
RunFortniteMario	O
Kart	O
Tour2Crossy	O
RoadNot	O
published8	O
Ball	O
PoolHelix	O
JumpColor	O
Bump	O
3D3Not	O
publishedSnake	O
vs.	O
BlockRise	O
Upaquapark.io4BallzPUBG	O
MobileCall	O
of	O
Duty	O
:	O
Mobile5Word	O
Cookies	O
!	O
Hole.ioBitLife6	O
Subway	O
SurfersLove	O
BallsPolysphere7EpisodeSnake	O
vs.	O
BlockWordscapes8Rolling	O
SkyRules	O
of	O
SurvivalFortnite9Block	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
are	O
the	O
most-downloaded	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
applications	O
and	O
the	O
highest	O
revenue	O
generating	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
applications	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
from	O
2010	O
to	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
3.0	I-Operating_System
launch	O
event	O
,	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
will	O
allow	O
blocking	O
of	O
objectionable	O
apps	O
in	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Operating_System
's	O
settings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
No	O
Apple	B-General_Concept
ID	I-General_Concept
owned	O
by	O
anyone	O
aged	O
16	O
and	O
under	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
purchase	O
an	O
app	O
rated	O
17+	O
.No	O
Rating	O
These	O
apps	O
cannot	O
be	O
purchased	O
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
as	O
apps	O
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
need	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
rating	O
for	O
children	O
’s	O
safety	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Applications	O
may	O
still	O
be	O
distributed	O
"	O
ad	O
hoc	O
"	O
if	O
they	O
are	O
rejected	O
,	O
by	O
the	O
author	O
manually	O
submitting	O
a	O
request	O
to	O
Apple	O
to	O
license	O
the	O
application	B-Application
to	O
individual	O
iPhones	B-Operating_System
,	O
although	O
Apple	O
may	O
withdraw	O
the	O
ability	O
for	O
authors	O
to	O
do	O
this	O
at	O
a	O
later	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2017	O
,	O
Apple	O
updated	O
its	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
review	O
guidelines	O
to	O
specify	O
that	O
app	O
developers	O
will	O
no	O
longer	O
have	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
use	O
custom	O
prompts	O
for	O
encouraging	O
users	O
to	O
leave	O
reviews	O
for	O
their	O
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
11	I-Operating_System
in	O
late	O
2017	O
,	O
Apple	O
also	O
let	O
developers	O
choose	O
whether	O
to	O
keep	O
current	O
app	O
reviews	O
when	O
updating	O
their	O
apps	O
or	O
to	O
reset	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
another	O
update	O
to	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
policies	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
optionally	O
"	O
tip	O
"	O
content	O
creators	O
,	O
by	O
voluntarily	O
sending	O
them	O
money	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
privacy	O
experiment	O
conducted	O
in	O
2019	O
by	O
the	O
Washington	O
Post	O
determined	O
that	O
third-party	O
apps	O
transmitted	O
a	O
host	O
of	O
personal	O
data	O
without	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
knowledge	O
or	O
consent	O
,	O
including	O
phone	O
number	O
,	O
email	O
,	O
exact	O
location	O
,	O
device	O
model	O
and	O
IP	B-Protocol
address	I-Protocol
,	O
to	O
"	O
a	O
dozen	O
marketing	O
companies	O
,	O
research	O
firms	O
and	O
other	O
personal	O
data	O
guzzlers	O
"	O
via	O
5,400	O
hidden	O
app	O
trackers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
responded	O
to	O
the	O
controversy	O
by	O
introducing	O
"	O
privacy	O
nutrition	O
labels	O
"	O
on	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
forcing	O
all	O
apps	O
to	O
disclose	O
their	O
data	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2012	O
,	O
Boyfriend	B-Application
Maker	I-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
dating	O
sim	O
game	O
,	O
was	O
removed	O
due	O
to	O
"	O
reports	O
of	O
references	O
to	O
violent	O
sexual	O
acts	O
and	O
paedophilia	O
"	O
deemed	O
inappropriate	O
to	O
Boyfriend	B-Application
Maker	I-Application
's	O
age	O
rating	O
of	O
4+	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
revised	O
version	O
called	O
Boyfriend	B-Application
Plus	I-Application
was	O
approved	O
by	O
Apple	O
in	O
April	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2013	O
,	O
HiddenApps	O
was	O
approved	O
and	O
appeared	O
in	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2013	O
,	O
Apple	O
removed	O
AppGratis	B-Application
,	O
a	O
then-successful	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
market	O
that	O
promoted	O
paid	O
apps	O
by	O
offering	O
one	O
for	O
free	O
each	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
told	O
All	O
Things	O
Digital	O
that	O
the	O
app	O
violated	O
two	O
of	O
its	O
developer	O
agreement	O
clauses	O
,	O
including	O
"	O
Apps	O
that	O
display	O
Apps	O
other	O
than	O
your	O
own	O
for	O
purchase	O
or	O
promotion	O
in	O
a	O
manner	O
similar	O
to	O
or	O
confusing	O
with	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
will	O
be	O
rejected	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Apps	O
cannot	O
use	O
Push	O
Notifications	O
to	O
send	O
advertising	O
,	O
promotions	O
,	O
or	O
direct	O
marketing	O
of	O
any	O
kind	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2015	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
discovered	O
that	O
"	O
hundreds	O
"	O
of	O
apps	O
submitted	O
and	O
approved	O
on	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
were	O
using	O
XcodeGhost	B-Application
,	O
a	O
malicious	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Xcode	B-Operating_System
development	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
issues	O
prompted	O
Apple	O
to	O
remove	O
infected	O
apps	O
from	O
the	O
store	O
and	O
issue	O
a	O
statement	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
working	O
with	O
the	O
developers	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
they	O
're	O
using	O
the	O
proper	O
version	O
of	O
Xcode	B-Operating_System
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
security	O
firm	O
later	O
published	O
lists	O
of	O
infected	O
apps	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
China-only	O
version	O
of	O
Angry	B-Application
Birds	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
CamCard	O
,	O
Lifesmart	O
,	O
TinyDeal.com,	O
and	O
WeChat	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
aftermath	O
,	O
Apple	O
stated	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
make	O
Xcode	B-Operating_System
faster	O
to	O
download	O
in	O
certain	O
regions	O
outside	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
and	O
contacted	O
all	O
developers	O
to	O
ensure	O
they	O
only	O
download	O
the	O
code	O
from	O
the	O
Mac	B-Application
App	I-Application
Store	I-Application
or	O
Apple	O
's	O
website	O
,	O
and	O
provided	O
a	O
code	O
signature	O
for	O
developers	O
to	O
test	O
if	O
they	O
are	O
running	O
a	O
tampered	O
version	O
of	O
Xcode	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2017	O
,	O
a	O
scamming	O
trend	O
was	O
discovered	O
on	O
the	O
store	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
developers	O
make	O
apps	O
built	O
on	O
non-existent	O
services	O
,	O
attach	O
in-app	O
purchase	O
subscriptions	O
to	O
the	O
opening	O
dialogue	O
,	O
then	O
buy	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
search	O
advertising	O
space	O
to	O
get	O
the	O
app	O
into	O
the	O
higher	O
rankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
one	O
instance	O
,	O
an	O
app	O
by	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
"	O
Mobile	O
protection	O
:Clean	O
&	O
Security	O
VPN	B-Application
"	O
would	O
require	O
payments	O
of	O
$99.99	O
for	O
a	O
seven-day	O
subscription	O
after	O
a	O
short	O
trial	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
Apple	O
has	O
removed	O
software	O
licensed	O
under	O
the	O
GNU	B-License
General	I-License
Public	I-License
License	I-License
(	O
GPL	B-License
)	O
from	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
due	O
to	O
text	O
in	O
Apple	O
's	O
Terms	O
of	O
Service	O
agreement	O
imposing	O
digital	O
rights	O
management	O
and	O
proprietary	O
legal	O
terms	O
incompatible	O
with	O
the	O
terms	O
of	O
the	O
GPL	B-License
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
the	O
app	O
names	O
registered	O
by	O
developers	O
cannot	O
exceed	O
50	O
characters	O
,	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
stop	O
developers	O
from	O
inserting	O
long	O
descriptions	O
or	O
irrelevant	O
terms	O
in	O
app	O
names	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
app	O
's	O
ranking	O
in	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
search	O
results	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
App	O
intelligence	O
firm	O
Sensor	O
Tower	O
revealed	O
in	O
November	O
2016	O
that	O
Apple	O
,	O
as	O
promised	O
from	O
its	O
September	O
announcement	O
of	O
removing	O
old	O
apps	O
,	O
had	O
removed	O
47,300	O
apps	O
from	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
in	O
October	O
2016	O
,	O
a	O
238	O
percent	O
increase	O
of	O
its	O
prior	O
number	O
of	O
average	O
monthly	O
app	O
removals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
example	O
cited	O
included	O
"	O
if	O
a	O
popular	O
game	O
like	O
Flappy	B-Application
Bird	I-Application
or	O
Red	O
Ball	O
hits	O
the	O
charts	O
,	O
there	O
will	O
be	O
hundreds	O
or	O
thousands	O
of	O
clones	O
within	O
weeks	O
that	O
attempt	O
to	O
capitalize	O
on	O
the	O
initial	O
wave	O
of	O
popularity	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
introduced	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Apple	O
's	O
2017	O
developer	O
conference	O
,	O
new	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
guidelines	O
allow	O
the	O
company	O
to	O
ban	O
apps	O
making	O
use	O
of	O
templates	O
or	O
commercial	O
app	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
news	O
caught	O
the	O
attention	O
of	O
Congress	O
,	O
with	O
Congressman	O
Ted	O
Lieu	O
writing	O
a	O
letter	O
to	O
Apple	O
at	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
December	O
,	O
asking	O
it	O
to	O
reconsider	O
,	O
writing	O
that	O
"	O
It	O
is	O
my	O
understanding	O
that	O
many	O
small	O
businesses	O
,	O
research	O
organizations	O
,	O
and	O
religious	O
institutions	O
rely	O
on	O
template	O
apps	O
when	O
they	O
do	O
not	O
possess	O
the	O
resources	O
to	O
develop	O
apps	O
in-house	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
new	O
rules	O
cast	O
"	O
too	O
wide	O
a	O
net	O
"	O
,	O
specifically	O
"	O
invalidating	O
apps	O
from	O
longstanding	O
and	O
legitimate	O
developers	O
who	O
pose	O
no	O
threat	O
to	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
's	O
integrity	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
statement	O
,	O
an	O
Apple	O
spokesperson	O
told	O
the	O
media	O
that	O
"	O
we	O
have	O
been	O
informed	O
that	O
the	O
app	O
is	O
in	O
violation	O
of	O
local	O
regulations	O
"	O
,	O
though	O
would	O
not	O
specify	O
which	O
regulations	O
,	O
and	O
added	O
that	O
"	O
As	O
a	O
result	O
the	O
app	O
must	O
be	O
taken	O
down	O
off	O
the	O
China	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
this	O
situation	O
changes	O
the	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
will	O
once	O
again	O
offer	O
the	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
app	O
for	O
download	O
in	O
China	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
July	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Apple	O
had	O
begun	O
to	O
remove	O
listings	O
in	O
China	O
for	O
apps	O
that	O
circumvent	O
government	O
Internet	O
censorship	O
policies	O
and	O
new	O
laws	O
restricting	O
virtual	B-Application
private	I-Application
network	I-Application
(	O
VPN	B-Application
)	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
issued	O
a	O
statement	O
,	O
explaining	O
that	O
the	O
app	O
removals	O
were	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
developers	O
not	O
complying	O
with	O
new	O
laws	O
in	O
China	O
requiring	O
a	O
government	O
license	O
for	O
businesses	O
offering	O
VPNs	B-Application
,	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
These	O
apps	O
remain	O
available	O
in	O
all	O
other	O
markets	O
where	O
they	O
do	O
business	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Besides	O
VPN	B-Application
services	O
,	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
Internet	B-Application
calling	I-Application
apps	O
,	O
including	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Skype	B-Application
,	O
were	O
also	O
removed	O
from	O
the	O
Chinese	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
in	O
2017	O
,	O
with	O
Apple	O
telling	O
The	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
that	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
VPN	B-Application
apps	O
,	O
these	O
new	O
apps	O
also	O
violated	O
local	O
law	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
explained	O
to	O
BBC	O
News	O
that	O
its	O
Skype	B-Application
app	O
had	O
been	O
"	O
temporarily	O
removed	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
working	O
to	O
reinstate	O
the	O
app	O
as	O
soon	O
as	O
possible	O
"	O
,	O
though	O
many	O
news	O
outlets	O
reported	O
on	O
the	O
Chinese	O
government	O
's	O
increased	O
efforts	O
and	O
pressure	O
to	O
crack	O
down	O
on	O
Internet	O
freedom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
Apple	O
CEO	B-Application
Tim	O
Cook	O
's	O
appearance	O
at	O
China	O
's	O
World	O
Internet	O
Conference	O
in	O
December	O
2017	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
Cook	O
stated	O
that	O
Apple	O
and	O
China	O
share	O
a	O
vision	O
of	O
"	O
developing	O
a	O
digital	O
economy	O
for	O
openness	O
and	O
shared	O
benefits	O
"	O
,	O
free	O
speech	O
and	O
human	O
rights	O
activists	O
criticized	O
Cook	O
and	O
the	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
TechCrunchs	O
Jon	O
Russell	O
criticized	O
this	O
line	B-Application
of	O
thinking	O
,	O
writing	O
that	O
"	O
Firstly	O
,	O
Apple	O
did	O
n't	O
just	O
remove	O
a	O
'	O
couple	O
of	O
things	O
 '	O
from	O
the	O
reach	O
of	O
China-based	O
users	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
rather	O
"	O
a	O
couple	O
of	O
hundred	O
"	O
apps	O
,	O
acknowledging	O
that	O
"	O
even	O
that	O
is	O
under	O
counting	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Furthermore	O
,	O
Russell	O
listed	O
censorship	O
efforts	O
by	O
the	O
Chinese	O
government	O
,	O
including	O
VPN	B-Application
bans	O
and	O
restrictions	O
on	O
live	O
video	O
and	O
messaging	O
apps	O
,	O
and	O
wrote	O
that	O
"	O
Apple	O
had	O
little	O
choice	O
but	O
to	O
follow	O
Beijing	O
's	O
line	B-Application
in	O
order	O
to	O
continue	O
to	O
do	O
business	O
in	O
the	O
lucrative	O
Chinese	O
market	O
,	O
but	O
statements	O
like	O
Cook	O
's	O
today	O
are	O
dangerous	O
because	O
they	O
massively	O
underplay	O
the	O
severity	O
of	O
the	O
situation	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2018	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
Chinese	O
regulations	O
,	O
25,000	O
illegal	O
apps	O
were	O
pulled	O
down	O
by	O
Apple	O
from	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
in	O
China	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
removed	O
the	O
Smart	O
Voting	O
app	O
from	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
before	O
the	O
2021	O
Russian	O
legislative	O
election	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
application	B-Application
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
created	O
by	O
associates	O
of	O
imprisoned	O
opposition	O
leader	O
Alexei	O
Navalny	O
,	O
offered	O
voting	O
advice	O
for	O
all	O
voting	O
districts	O
in	O
Russia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2019	O
,	O
Apple	O
removed	O
all	O
applications	O
related	O
to	O
vaping	O
from	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
citing	O
warning	O
from	O
health	O
experts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
2017	O
,	O
Tim	O
Sweeney	O
had	O
questioned	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
digital	O
storefronts	O
like	O
Valve	O
's	O
Steam	O
,	O
Apple	O
's	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Google	O
Play	O
,	O
to	O
take	O
a	O
30%	O
revenue	O
sharing	O
cut	O
,	O
and	O
argued	O
that	O
when	O
accounting	O
for	O
current	O
rates	O
of	O
content	O
distribution	O
and	O
other	O
factors	O
needed	O
,	O
a	O
revenue	O
cut	O
of	O
8%	O
should	O
be	O
sufficient	O
to	O
run	O
any	O
digital	O
storefront	O
profitably	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
13	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
Epic	O
Games	O
updated	O
Fortnite	B-Application
across	O
all	O
platforms	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
version	O
,	O
to	O
reduce	O
the	O
price	O
of	O
"	O
V-Bucks	O
"	O
(	O
the	O
in-game	O
currency	O
)	O
by	O
20%	O
if	O
they	O
purchased	O
directly	O
from	O
Epic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
users	O
,	O
if	O
they	O
purchased	O
through	O
the	O
Apple	O
storefront	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
not	O
given	O
this	O
discount	O
,	O
as	O
Epic	O
said	O
they	O
could	O
not	O
extend	O
the	O
discount	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
30%	O
revenue	O
cut	O
taken	O
by	O
Apple	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
hours	O
,	O
Apple	O
had	O
removed	O
Fortnite	B-Application
from	O
their	O
storefronts	O
stating	O
the	O
means	O
of	O
bypassing	O
their	O
payment	O
systems	O
violated	O
the	O
terms	O
of	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
responded	O
to	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
terminate	O
Epic	O
's	O
developer	O
accounts	O
by	O
August	O
28	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
leading	O
Epic	O
to	O
file	O
a	O
motion	O
for	O
a	O
preliminary	O
injunction	O
to	O
force	O
Apple	O
to	O
return	O
Fortnite	B-Application
to	O
the	O
App	B-Application
Store	I-Application
and	O
prevent	O
them	O
from	O
terminating	O
Epic	O
's	O
developer	O
accounts	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
latter	O
action	O
would	O
leave	O
Epic	O
unable	O
to	O
update	O
the	O
Unreal	O
Engine	O
for	O
any	O
changes	O
to	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
or	O
macOS	B-Application
and	O
leave	O
developers	O
that	O
relied	O
on	O
Unreal	O
at	O
risk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
court	O
granted	O
the	O
preliminary	O
injunction	O
against	O
Apple	O
from	O
terminating	O
the	O
developer	O
accounts	O
as	O
Epic	O
had	O
shown	O
"	O
potential	O
significant	O
damage	O
to	O
both	O
the	O
Unreal	O
Engine	O
platform	O
itself	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
the	O
gaming	O
industry	O
generally	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
refused	O
to	O
grant	O
the	O
injunction	O
related	O
to	O
Fortnite	B-Application
as	O
"	O
The	O
current	O
predicament	O
appears	O
of	O
 [ Epic's ] 	O
own	O
making.	O
"	O
</s>
