Hello. I am the developer of a game called "Heya! Rising Ball" on the App Store(Apple ID - 6503669512). I first published my app on June 9, and successfully updated it on June 28 and July 19, continuing to provide service until July 27. However, in the early morning of July 27, I received a "Pending Termination Notice." The message stated that my account was found to have engaged in "dishonest or fraudulent activity," and because of the severity of the issue, my app was removed, and my account was flagged for removal.
The "Evidence of Dishonest or Fraudulent Activity" mentioned was: "App submissions from your account have engaged in concept or feature switch schemes to evade the review process, such as dynamically populating different app content after review, submitting apps with hidden features, repeatedly submitting misleading apps, and/or submitting apps with concrete references to content that you are not authorized to provide or is otherwise not appropriate for the App Store."
I reviewed the mentioned "section 3.2(f) of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement," and have been trying to understand which part of the regulation I violated that led to my app being removed and my account being flagged for fraudulent activities.
I posted on the iosProgramming subreddit on Reddit, seeking advice on what could have caused this issue. Initially, I thought the problem might be due to the name of my app overlapping with others, but feedback suggested that the name should be fine.
Secondly, I wondered if the keywords might be the issue. My app is a mobile game developed using Unity, similar to watermelon games, so I included "watermelon game, suika game" in the keywords. Could using "suika game" be interpreted as referencing another game, leading to me being labeled as dishonest?
Thirdly, I considered the possibility of copyright issues with the sprites. For instance, the ball objects in my game were created by me using Affinity Designer, and the rabbit-shaped cloud that drops the balls was purchased as part of a GUI pack from the Unity Asset Store. Later, I discovered that the smiling ball I designed somewhat resembles illustrations used by the Headspace app. Could this resemblance be why I’m considered dishonest or fraudulent?
Fourthly, people suggested it could be a library issue. The only potentially problematic library I used was "Graphy," a Unity Asset Store app for displaying device stats. I disabled its objects before submission. Could this be the issue, even though the app passed reviews and functioned well until now?
My app, released on June 9, hasn’t gained much popularity or downloads. However, there’s one regular player from Italy who plays my game before bed, as shown by Google AdMob stats. Seeing this consistent player motivated me to keep updating and improving the app. When my app was removed, I felt a deep sense of loss as I couldn’t provide this player with an improved experience.
I’m at a loss as to what I did wrong to be labeled as engaging in "dishonest or fraudulent activity." While I know I can file an appeal via the link provided, it requires:
- A thorough explanation of the issues identified
- Specific steps to prevent its recurrence
- New information clarifying these issues, if you disagree with the findings
However, I don’t know what the exact problem is, so I can’t provide new information or specific steps to prevent recurrence. I need to understand the issue to address it properly.
I am currently residing in South Korea, where I was able to speak with an Apple Developers support representative over the phone. However, they informed me that my issue is related to the App Review team and that I need to contact them. Unfortunately, since I live in South Korea, I cannot contact the App Review team by phone. The support representative said they would inform the App Review team, and I should wait for their response, which will likely come via email. It has been over a day, and I am still waiting for their reply.
When I searched forums and Google for information about filing an "Appeal" after receiving a "Termination Notice," I couldn't find any instances where the issue was successfully resolved and the termination was revoked. I also read that the "Appeal" is a one-time opportunity, and the decision made is final. Some posts mentioned receiving responses from an A.I. Bot and not being able to change the outcome thereafter.
Therefore, before I submit my "Appeal," which could be my last chance, I want to understand what mistake I made with my app that led to this situation. My app passed the review process three times and was being actively serviced before my developer account was suddenly terminated. Knowing the exact issue will help me address it properly in my "Appeal" and assure that it won’t happen again, which could assist in restoring my app and developer account.
Please help me understand what’s wrong with my app so that I can explain, provide preventive measures, and hopefully resolve this issue.
Thank you.
