Where can I report breaches of review guidelines?

On occasions some apps may seem to not adhere to the guidelines set by Apple. E.g. I get push notifications now and then urging me to buy some stuff. But that should not be allowed by the rules:

5.6 Apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising, promotions, or direct marketing of any kind


I also see way to many apps breaking the following rule on the App Store, but see nowhere to report them:

22.2 Apps that contain false, fraudulent or misleading representations or use names or icons similar to other Apps will be rejected

Post not yet marked as solved Up vote post of niklasbr Down vote post of niklasbr
3.4k views

Replies

4.5.4 Push Notifications must not be required for the app to function, and should not be used for advertising, promotions, or direct marketing purposes or to send sensitive personal or confidential information.


My emphasis. This morning I got a push notification with the content: "Get 20% off for all routes…" from an airline whose app I have installed. Where can I report these?

Got some more promotions via push notifications. This was not from some small odd developer, this was from a major software development house. Where can I report breaches like these?

Why have rules such as these if they are not enforced?

You seem to have missed the word "should" in rule 4.5.4. If you see a "should" in the sentence, then it's not a rule but a recommendation, meaning you are allowed to do it even if Apple prefers you not to.

> from an airline - major software development house


Might be safe to assume that airlines and major software houses are operating under a different set of rules.


Did you complain to Apple as a user? Did you review those apps in the store?

>Why have rules such as these if they are not enforced?


Never assume the 'rules' are the same for all devs/apps...

Are you getting these push notices "about" an app or "from" an app? If you are not getting these notices "from" an app why do you think they violate a review guideline?

I am getting them from the app(s), they use the push network.


Why do I believe that they violate review guidelines? I belive that rule 4.5.4 says that push notifications should not be used for "advertising, promotions, or direct marketing", and I belive that a push notification which says "20% off all flights, all destinations!" falls under at least two of those. Yet at least one of the apps in question requires push notifications to be active for its Wallet integration to work.

I talked to the Apple app review team about 4.5.4 and what is meant by “marketing and advertising”. The examples listed above in this string do violate the rule. We were asking permission to send push notifications with similar type promotions and were told it was strictly against their rules. That said, I too am frustrated by what appears to be a lack of enforcement of the rule. By not enforcing this rule Apple is allowing apps to degrade the overall iOS user experience. My device lock screen is fillled with spam. Your only option is to turn off push for the offending apps. However, as an app publisher it is very aggravating to see others breaking the rules without consequences.