Apple’s control over app sales for iPhones causes a new legal dispute: the rejection of its coronavirus app last spring is inadmissible, argues an app provider in its lawsuit filed in a US court (Coronavirus Reporter vs. Apple, United States District Court for the New Hampshire District, Case 1: 21 – cv – 00047).

Developer: “Useful apps” must be approved Apple has the right to carry out a quality control of apps, but is not allowed to deny “useful apps” access to the iPhone, writes the plaintiff. With such refusals, Apple is preventing users from accessing the open Internet via apps, thereby violating US competition law. Due to the in-house interface for corona encounter messages, Apple is also in competition with third-party developers for corona apps, according to the lawsuit.

Apple had the March 2020 started the content in his store about coronavirus and Covid – 19 to filter. Initially, the search results showed games related to viruses and apps for food storage as well as other applications that apparently wanted to gain better visibility with the corresponding keywords. Since then, Apple has only allowed apps related to the coronavirus that come from “recognized institutions” – such as authorities or hospitals – that should contain incorrect information.

Corona apps only permitted by official bodies The rejected app wanted Collect symptom reports from users.

(Image: complaint)

Apple also rejected its app called “Coronavirus Reporter” with reference to this rule, the developer writes in the lawsuit – although doctors also belong to the own team and other competing apps have been approved. Coronavirus Reporter apparently saw itself as a kind of crowd-sourcing tool where users should publish symptoms and location. Apple also complained that the information collected by users was not checked by a recognized source, the developer said. He is demanding compensation and an order prohibiting Apple from banning access to “meaningful apps”.

(lbe)