Apple loosens the reigns while Microsoft tightens the noose

Well, today is quite the day for application stores, Apple apparently is finally planning to quell the complaints about applications being rejected for “objectionable content” by putting in parental controls for the iPhone according to ilounge. Apparently a newspaper application was submitted and denied due to offensive content in one of the newspapers, and Apple stated that the Application should be resubmitted once iPhone OS 3.0 was released, far different than the usual form-letter rejection most people receive. It seems Apple is finally listening to developers and the community on this issue.

On the other hand, Microsoft released a list of prohibited applications for their upcoming Windows Marketplace for Mobile, and some of the restrictions are just plain appalling.

“1. Applications that are or distribute alternate marketplaces for content types (applications,
games, themes etc.) that are sold or otherwise distributed through Windows® Marketplace for
Mobile.
2. Applications that link to, incent users to download, or otherwise promote alternate
marketplaces for content types that are sold or otherwise distributed through Windows
Marketplace for Mobile.
3. Applications that promote or link users to a website, or contain functionality within the
application itself, which encourages or requires the user to purchase or pay to upgrade the
application outside of Windows® Marketplace for Mobile.
4. Applications that enable VoIP (Voice over IP) services over a mobile operator network.
5. Applications that sell, link to, or otherwise promote mobile voice plans.
6. Applications that display advertising that does not meet the Microsoft Advertising Creative
Acceptance Policy Guide http://advertising.microsoft.com/creative-specs.
7. Applications that replace, remove or modify the default dialer, SMS, or MMS interface.
8. Applications that change the default browser, search client, or media player on the device.
9. Applications with an OTA (over the air) download >10 MB.
10. Applications that run code outside Microsoft runtimes (native, managed, and widgets)
11. Applications that publish a user’s location information to any other person without first having
received the user’s express permission (opt-in) to do so, and that do not provide the user a
means of opting out of having their location information published.
12. Applications that publish a user’s data from their mobile device to any other person without first
having received the user’s express permission (opt-in) to do so, and that do not provide the user
a means of opting out of having their data published. A “user’s data” includes, without limit,
contacts, photos, SMS or other text communication, browsing history, location information, and
other data either stored on the mobile device or stored in the “cloud” but accessible from the
mobile device”

I can perfectly understand several of these rules that were likely done at either the behest of a carrier or for the safety of the users, but others are a bit over the line, notably numbers seven through nine. Number seven could be argued as trying to protect users, but these types of applications are a staple for many application users who like to customize their interface fully, since most of the built-in clients for these features are often poorly designed and ill-implemented. Although I fully agree removing it entirely should not be allowed for obvious reasons, but the rest is just Microsoft trying to cover themselves in case someone messed up their device.

Number eight is at a glance, the most annoying one on the list, but at least its not completely restricting new kinds of clients.

Nine may be the most restrictive, 10 megabytes is just pathetic, and I can only assume this was implemented due to either carrier concerns about bandwidth usage or manufactures not wanting customers to realize the pathetic memory capacity they still include in most devices. Even though most apps on the current platforms are only a couple of megabytes, this rule is a severe hindrance to the growth of mobile applications in the future as they increase in both scope and power.

Even though I’m not happy with many of these restrictions, it should be noted, unlike Apple, you won’t have to modify your phone if you simply download them from the internet and move them onto your mobile device, so you can still get applications that will be available to do these things, just not on Microsoft’s application store.

Revisiting Apple, I still find the system to be overly restrictive, but it’s a good first step into a more open marketplace, its just a bit too ridiculous that a news reader will be classified as an adults-only item.

-List via Windows Marketplace for Mobile (PDF Link)