Apple is surprised that developers are concerned about app review process

Apple has reportedly told the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that they are surprised “to hear that developers have legitimate concerns” about their ability to engage with Apple regarding the app review process, according to reports.

The Cupertino-based tech giant said in a submission to the ACCC as a part of its Digital Platform Services Inquiry that the main idea behind the app review process is to protect users from fake, non-functioning and malicious apps.

"Central to the App Review process is the protection of our consumers' privacy and security. That is why the App Review process is iterative and some apps may require multiple rounds of submission before Apple is satisfied the app meets all of the guidelines," Apple said in its reply.

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The Australian government recently passed the News Media Bargaining Code that’s going to make Facebook and Google pay for news content and have now turned their focus on browser domination which puts Apple under scrutiny too.

ACCC has released a discussion paper that is focused on the “choice and competition in internet search and web browsers” where they have asked for submissions based on the pre-installed browsers that come set as default.

According to Apple, the app review process that’s all set to kick in is the "human-led process of reviewing apps submitted to the app store to ensure they are reliable, perform as expected, respect user privacy, and are free of objectionable content".

They added that 73% of the prospective apps are reviewed within 24 hours of being submitted by the developer. And if the app is rejected, developers can correspond with the Apple team member who reviewed the app, via App Store Connect, to see what went wrong and what needs to be done.

And besides this mode of communication with developers through the App Review process, Apple also has other touchpoints to connect with developers on a one-to-one basis.

Also Read: Apple launches web page with privacy labels for its own apps

The company operates a worldwide telephone support line for developers to answer queries regarding app submission, management, enrolment, membership and analytics. "This support line is available in all 175 countries where the Apple App Store is present and, on average, facilitates 1,000 calls per week," Apple said.

AICC is of the opinion that pre-installed services and services set as a default may function as barriers to entry and expansion.

"Consumers may stick with a default option on account of imperfect information. For example, consumers may remain with an incumbent search service rather than switch to a new entrant if they do not know whether the incumbent provides a higher quality search service than the new entrant, and substantial information costs would have to be incurred to compare the quality of the two search services," the commission has argued.

(With inputs from wires)