app store – Tech News

Utah Lawmakers Pass Bill That Puts App Stores in Charge of Age Verification

Utah has become the first US state to pass legislation requiring app stores to verify users' ages and seek parental consent before allowing minors to download apps. "Parents want a one-stop shop to verify their child’s age and grant permission for them to download apps in a privacy-preserving way. The app store is the best place for it," Meta, X, and Snapchat said in a joint statement. "We applaud Utah for putting parents in charge with its landmark legislation and urge Congress to follow suit."
https://www.pcmag.com/news/utah-lawmakers-pass-bill-that-puts-app-stores-in-charge-of-age-verification

First porn app ‘approved’ for the iPhone in Europe. Apple isn’t happy.

"We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids. This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world. Contrary to the false statements made by the marketplace developer, we certainly do not approve of this app and would never offer it in our App Store. The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety," Apple said in a statement to The Verge.
https://mashable.com/article/first-porn-app-apple-app-store

Apple now lets app developers apply to be featured on the App Store

App developers now have a new way to promote their app launches, updates, and other new features on Apple’s App Store. First announced at the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June, Apple this week introduced a “Featuring Nominations” option in App Store Connect, which is the service developers use to submit their apps, games, and updates to the App Store. Now, instead of waiting for Apple to recognize their work, developers can nominate their own apps to be featured. This will allow developers to inform Apple about three different types of updates: new content, app enhancements, or new app launches.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/13/apple-now-lets-app-developers-apply-to-be-featured-on-the-app-store/

YouTube’s free games catalog ‘Playables’ rolls out to all users

YouTube’s “app store” for games is rolling out more broadly. The company announced on Tuesday that its collection of lightweight, free games dubbed “Playables” will soon start to appear in the YouTube app for all users, in addition to the YouTube Home page.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/28/youtubes-free-games-catalog-playables-rolls-out-to-all-users/

Notability Users Frustrated By Switch to Subscription Model Claim Violation of App Store Guidelines

Notability users have been left frustrated and annoyed after the developer of the popular Mac and iOS note-taking app revealed on Monday that it has switched to a subscription-based model, and that key features included in original app purchases will stop functioning after one year.
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/11/02/notability-users-frustrated-subscription-model/