Ammon News - Apple's App Store has quietly but firmly tightened the reins on what kinds of social experiences it allows on iOS devices.

The company has updated its App Review Guidelines to explicitly ban apps that facilitate random or anonymous chat, according to Apple's official developer documentation. This isn't just another routine policy tweak—it represents a significant shift in how Apple views user safety versus the open, unpredictable nature of anonymous online interaction.

The move follows mounting pressure from Australian regulators, particularly after OmeTV, a chat-roulette style platform, was pulled from both Apple and Google's stores amid serious child safety concerns, as reported by B&T. For developers building social apps, messaging platforms, or any service involving user-generated content, this policy change demands immediate attention—the line between acceptable and bannable has just been redrawn, and understanding where your app falls could determine whether it survives the next review cycle.


What exactly is Apple banning?
Apple's updated guidelines now explicitly state that applications enabling anonymous phone calls, prank calls, or anonymous SMS/MMS messaging face outright rejection, according to the App Review Guidelines. But the scope extends further than just messaging—apps centered on random pairing of strangers, Chatroulette-style video experiences, or platforms primarily used for objectifying real people through "hot-or-not" voting mechanisms are also in Apple's crosshairs, as detailed in Apple's developer documentation.