AppShopper, a popular iOS app that helps people find new applications, has just been pulled from the App Store. The application was found to be violating App Store rule 2.25, which rejects all “Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store.” This rule was added to the App Store in September. Since AppShopper’s only purpose is to help users find new apps in the App Store, we’re pretty sure it’s next to impossible for AppShopper to modify its app to meet Apple’s guidelines.
While this may seem like a cruel act on Apple’s part, we can see where Apple is coming from. Apple doesn’t want the App Store to be a store full of App Store clones. The App Store already does a pretty good job of displaying and organizing applications, so there’s really no reason to use an App Store clone. We’re expecting that other app finders will also be pulled from the App Store in the near future.
