Apple's Incoherent App Approval Process Strikes Again, Net Neutrality App Banned For No Real Reason

Apple's Incoherent App Approval Process Strikes Again, Net Neutrality App Banned For No Real Reason

6 years ago
Anonymous $v9r5mEH86V

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180118/07534139030/apples-incoherent-app-approval-process-strikes-again-net-neutrality-app-banned-no-real-reason.shtml

By now Apple's app-store approval process is legendary for being completely untethered from anything even vaguely resembling consistency, accountability, or transparency. App makers can often find their passion projects banned for no coherent reason whatsoever, or because the app in question competes with Apple's own offerings. The process of complaining is traditionally semi-Sisyphean, with Apple often refusing to adequately explain their decisions. And it's inconsistent; banned apps and games can often reappear with no concrete explanation as well.

The latest case in point: David Coffnes, a researcher at Northeastern University, recently built an app named Wehe to help broadband users test their connections for possible throttling or net neutrality violations. But the app in question was banned by Apple for no coherent reason, the company simply telling Coffnes that his app "has no direct benefits to the user," and contained "objectionable content," neither of which is true: