[credo]

I'm puzzled by this rejection.

"Politically charged" doesn't seem like a valid reason for rejection (because by that standard, apps like Huffington Post on the left or Drudge on the right wouldn't have a place in the app store)

I hope Apple reverses its decision (and I also hope that the rejection was an unintentional mistake)

[pistoriusp]

During the election another developer wrote an app that counted down the number of days until Bush was out of office, it was called Freedom Time. It was rejected and the developer emailed Steve Jobs.

He got a response: "Even though my personal political leanings are democratic, I think this app will be offensive to roughly half our customers. What’s the point?

Steve"

http://www.juggleware.com/blog/2008/09/steve-jobs-writes-bac...

[pqs]

That would be valid if customers had to use the App! If it was compulsory. But, people only use the Apps they want to, the ones they download! So, if you don't like the counter, just don't download it.

There must be a way to stop this rejection-crazyness.

[GHFigs]

So, if you don't like the counter, just don't download it.

You cannot count on people behaving this way, least of all when it comes to politics.

There must be a way to stop this rejection-crazyness.

Broad rejection under the banner of "politically charged" is probably the most sane solution for Apple. The more they permit, the greater the backlash over any particular rejection, and the more their permission would be construed as endorsement.

For instance, suppose a pro-life and pro-choice application are both approved for the store, but one (it doesn't matter which) is only approved with a higher age limitation than the other due to content. Even if Apple's rating approval were completely consistent with other applications, the discrepancy between these two is practically guaranteed to cause a shitstorm. Multiply that by every other axis of approval or rejection and every other political issue in every country Apple runs a store.

[pqs]

What I cannot understand at all is why I'm able to install any kind of software on my mackbook and why I can't do this on my iPhone. It's just absurd.

[pistoriusp]

Never underestimate how often people will find reasons to be offended:

Drive down a road... See a billboard that you don't agree with... Offended!

The "fk Jesus" group on Facebook... Offended!

I usually only tend to get offended when someone is trying to offend me directly. But other people are not so liberal with their egos.

[pqs]

But this is their problem. I should be able to use any kind of software in my iPhone.

[CrazedGeek]

Drudge and the like are news sites with heavy biases, not just a political statement-type app.

For what it's worth, though, there's a ton of apps that are more politically charged (IMO) that were accepted - as an example, Conservative Talking Points is pretty bad.