Apple Updates App Review Guidelines With New Rules for Children, Gambling Apps

Apple has updated portions of its App Store review guidelines, changing many sections and introducing a handful of new rules based on different policies enforced over the past few months.

Apple has first updated its rules to comply with the tougher requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) enacted earlier this year. The new COPPA rules prevent developers from collecting information from children without verifiable parental consent if they are under the age of 13. Developers were previously unable to access names, addresses, and phone numberers, but the new restrictions cover photographs, videos, and audio as well.

17.3 Apps may ask for date of birth (or use other age-gating mechanisms) only for the purpose of complying with applicable children's privacy statutes, but must include some useful functionality or entertainment value regardless of the user's age

17.4 Apps that collect, transmit, or have the capability to share personal information (e.g. name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, persistent identifiers, the ability to chat, or other personal data) from a minor must comply with applicable children's privacy statutes.

There is also an entirely new section on "Kids Apps," which specifies that any app tailored for children under the age of 13 must include a privacy policy, may not include behavioral advertising in-app, and finally must ask for parental permission before the app "links out of the app or engages in commerce."

Apple also introduced new changes to buckle down on gambling. Apps that offer real money gaming are now required to be free and cannot use in-app purchases to offer players credit or currency to use in such games.

20.5 Apps that offer real money gaming (e.g. sports betting, poker, casino games, horse racing) must have necessary licensing and permissions in the locations where the App is used, must be restricted to those locations, and must be free on the App Store

20.6 Apps that use IAP to purchase credit or currency to use in conjunction with real money gaming will be rejected

Developers can check out the guidelines in full on Apple's developer site.

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