Apple’s Cal AI crackdown signals it’s still policing the App Store

Apple’s caller crackdown connected the MyFitnessPal-owned Cal AI food-logging app demonstrates that the tech elephantine is inactive enforcing its strict App Store rules astir the usage of outer payments. The calorie-counting app, which was concisely removed from the App Store past week, had attempted to skirt Apple’s in-app acquisition guidelines and had besides employed manipulative tactics, Apple told TechCrunch.

The developer has since addressed the issues, and the app has returned to Apple’s App Store.

Cal AI’s App Store rejection made the rounds connected societal media past week. Apple appeared to beryllium making an illustration of the company, primitively founded by a brace of precocious schoolhouse students who grew the concern to $50 cardinal successful ARR earlier being acquired by MyFitnessPal successful March.

Initially, determination was interest that Apple had simply removed the app for utilizing web payments alternatively of Apple’s ain in-app acquisition (or IAP), adjacent though that is present permitted.

At present, Apple’s App Store Guidelines let U.S.-based developers to link retired to outer outgo systems, arsenic a effect of a tribunal ruling successful the lawsuit brought against Apple by Epic Games. In astir cases, however, apps are inactive required to connection Apple’s in-app acquisition enactment alongside immoderate outer link. (The large objection present is for what Apple calls “reader” apps — meaning those that supply subscription-based entree to integer content, similar books, audio, music, video streaming, and more. Cal AI does not suffice for this exception.)

Apple, erstwhile reached for comment, said that the app’s little removal was owed to aggregate violations of its rules, including bypassing Apple’s in-app acquisition flow, utilizing deceptive billing design, and different manipulative tactics. The occurrence shows that Apple is inactive actively policing however developers instrumentality web payments, adjacent though the Epic ruling had loosened immoderate earlier restrictions.

Chief among the violations, Apple said that Cal AI had bypassed Apple’s in-app purchases by implementing an embedded in-app outgo travel utilizing a third-party work (in this case, Stripe) to unlock entree to integer goods. In doing so, it removed Apple’s in-app acquisition (IAP) arsenic an enactment for users during checkout. This violated Apple’s App Review Guideline 3.1.1, which requires that IAP beryllium offered alongside the outer link.

Apple said that the institution had besides been engaged successful deceptive billing practices, successful usurpation of Guideline 3.1.2c, arsenic Cal AI’s paywall was designed to mislead and confuse consumers. Specifically, the paywall displayed the play calculated pricing much prominently than the existent magnitude the idiosyncratic would beryllium billed. It besides included a toggle for a escaped proceedings that obscured accusation astir the subscription’s automatic renewal.

Cal AI was further dinged for its usage of “manipulative tactics,” Apple said, successful usurpation of the Developer Code of Conduct’s line 5.6. One contented was that the app would punctual users who declined the archetypal subscription connection with a second, antithetic subscription acquisition flow. Plus, the app had galore antagonistic idiosyncratic reviews that accused the app of being a scam due to the fact that of however it presented its third-party outgo options.

After its rejection, Cal AI addressed the issues, allowing it to return to the store, Apple confirmed.

MyFitnessPal and Cal AI did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

It would not beryllium astonishing if Cal AI had wanted to trial the waters to spot however actively Apple’s app reappraisal squad was enforcing its rules successful the aftermath of the Apple-Epic tribunal ruling. Apple’s effect should service arsenic a informing that the tech elephantine is inactive policing its App Store — adjacent astatine the hazard of losing retired connected its chopped of the gross of a viral app, which contiguous sits successful the No. 4 spot connected the App Store’s Health & Fitness charts.