The recent “rejection” of the Google Voice app from the Apple Store has been one of the turning points in this constant fight against Apple’s Store policies. A sign that things have gone too far.
The move was enough in fact to get the attention of the FCC, which sternly asked both AT&T and Apple for an explanation for their behavior.
Among the questions asked AT&T was required to answer as to what role they had in Apple’s decision to disallow the Google Voice app, Apple was asked to reveal their side of the story, and clarify once and for all, what makes an application fit for rejection. Google too was asked to reveal details about it’s own store process.
The companies have now made their formal replies, and here’s how it stands:
AT&T: We didn’t do it.
Apple: We really haven’t done it, but are just waiting for some confirmation about how Google does it before we decide if we can do it or not.
AT&T was essentially asked whether they had anything to do with the rejection of this application, they denied that they had anything to do with the rejection, and furthermore added that users were still free to visit the Google Voice website if they wanted.
Apple’s weaves a much more enchanted tale of rejection, and woe. They claim, they really haven’t rejected the Google Voice application, they “continue to study it”; they’ll be prepared by mid-terms, really!
After bashing away any rumour that the app had even been rejected at all, they then continue on: The application they say has “not been approved”, because it “appears to alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone’s core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail.”
So it seems, the Google Voice application has not been rejected, it just hasn’t been approved. Phew! We can sleep in peace tonight!
Since the iPhone allows for running application only in the foreground when launched by the user, it is unlikely that the app could change anything much, the application cannot and does not run as a part of the OS, it cannot “alter” the user interface, just append onto it. As for replacing said functionality, why are there then other application which do the same? Why were they not rejected? Why were other Google Voice based apps not by Google pulled from the store after being approved?
With a note of sincere concern, they then go onto worry about the security of the user’s data:
In addition, the iPhone user’s entire Contacts database is transferred to Google’s servers, and we have yet to obtain any assurances from Google that this data will only be used in appropriate ways.
The poor user having been misled by the evil Google into downloading their app, launching it, and having their entire interface altered from the land of bunnies and chocolate pudding that is the iPhone OS, they might now actually USE the app! Horrifying indeed, no wonder the app hasn’t been rejected, and nor been approved.
All this when apparently Apple has no issues approving spy-ware for the iPhone.
They absolve AT&T of all blame though, and state that the decision was theirs alone.
In stating the differences between Google Voice and other similar application that have been published, they claim that they STILL haven’t ascertained if the application uses VoIP. At-least the approval speed seems about right.
Google too was asked questions about its own Android Store, and the answer was simple. They run automated tests to make sure applications can run on all devices, and approve any application sent by any registered developer, without need for pre-approval. They rely on the intelligence of their users to flag applications which may be inappropriate, and if they get enough flags, they review it themselves. Only about 1% applications have been taken down.
Apple also reveals that it has around 40 review-monkeys and it takes two a piece to get a software reviewed. If an application poses a complication, it is escalated to the review board composed of senior managers, which meets weekly. They also claim that 95% of the applications get through without a problem within 14 days. It’s not really clear whether that is 95% of the applications which eventually get approved or 95% of all applications.
In any case taking 14 days as average, this would mean 14 days after a developer finds an exploit, before it gets deployed, 14 days is no small amount of time.
Apple has recently shown some interest in improving their app store process for developers, and for once we have had public and official statements from people inside Apple. This reply casts a shadow of doubt on them again.
Read AT&T’s reply here.
Read Apple’s reply here.
Read Google’s reply here.