Apple rejects News Addict app, wants 17+ rating

Apple has rejected an update to TapMode’s News Addict application, claiming that the developer must rate the app 17+ because it allows access to the Internet. In an email to iLounge, TapMode developer Jeff McMorris explains that the app is currently #1 in the paid app listing for the News section, and that such a mandate would potentially affect thousands of other applications in the App Store. Notably, News Addict has passed inspection two previous times with a rating of 4+, a rating which is shared with many of its competitor applications. In addition, while the app is designed to offer fast access to a variety of predetermined news sources, there is no way to even enter a URL in the application, making Apple’s “Internet access” claim largely untrue. As McMorris notes on his company’s blog, “Apple needs to rate apps based on what they actually contain not what they might be used for. This is the equivalent of putting 17+ ratings on TV sets because they have the potential to play R rated movies.” The prior version of News Addict, version 1.1, is available now from the App Store and sells for $1.