FCC Probing Apple/AT&T Over App Store Rejections
There has been a ton of coverage in the last 12 hours over the FCC's letter to Apple and Google regarding the rejection of the Google Voice app and the removal of all approved apps that utilize the Google Voice service. (see letter here). Most of the coverage is specfically over the role of AT&T in app store rejections. Any really cool application that would either run on AT&T's tin can network or would potentially compete with a competing AT&T service has been blocked or neutered. AT&T is a popular villian in all of this because of the rejections and their seeming inability to support basic functions like MMS that other carriers immediately adopted. However, I think that the letter is going to go much deeper and the much more interesting question to me is the last one.
6. What are the standards for considering and approving iPhone applications? What is the approval process for such applications (timing, reasons for rejection, appeal process, etc.)? What is the percentage of applications that are rejected? What are the major reasons for rejecting an application?
I can't imagine that the answer to that one will not be covered by a confidentiality letter but that's the million dollar question. This potentially goes way beyond VOIP apps to cover all rejected apps. An earlier question asks if standards are posted to iTunes and given to potential developers (I think we all know the answer to those questions).
Maybe this is the straw that finally gets the cell companies in trouble? I'm sure the AT&T execs had heartburn last night pondering what the rejection of a single app could lead to. Especially since Google didn't complain to the FCC. It appears that the FCC took this action all by itself.
I doubt we'll get the answers to the interesting questions because I'm sure that Apple and AT&T will hide behind "company secrets". But it makes me more than happy to keep jailbreaking my iPhone.
