For the last several months, Apple has been cracking down on third-party kids apps, specifically in regards to analytics and advertising. A new report from The Washington Post today dives deeper into Apple’s policy change, and notes that the company plans to delay the change.
Starting next month, Apple had planned to ban kids apps on the App Store from using any sort of external analytics software. It had also planned to dramatically curtail the advertising allowed in kids apps, which could dramatically impact the businesses of free kids apps.
Phil Schiller said Apple’s crackdown on these practices came following complaints from parents:
In a new statement to The Washington Post, however, Apple says it is delaying its plans to introduce these rule changes. The company noted that it is not backing away from the policy changes, but rather only delaying them and working with developers who will be impacted.
Several developers have been outspoken about the changes, including PBS. During an interview in June, PBS CEO Paula Kerger said that these new guidelines from Apple would force PBS to remove several of its apps from the App Store.
The statement said some developers had asked Apple to clarify the new rules, but that “generally we have heard from them that there is widespread support for what we are trying to do to protect kids.”
Under the new rules, app developers could still collect data themselves and with Apple’s own analytics software, but third-party services would be banned. It’s now unclear when these new restrictions will go into place – or if they could be slightly loosened.
