Mark Cuban says Apple should remove Twitter from iOS App Store

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By Larry Banks

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban has posted on Twitter to ask why Apple has not banned the app from the iOS App Store, apparently for violating app review policies – specifically those concerning “objectionable” user-generated content.

Cuban calls on Apple to banish Twitter

Cuban posted several tweets in the last few days asking why Apple allows the Twitter app to stay on the App Store, in the face of objectionable content that appears to violate the App Store review guidelines. Cuban didn’t offer up any specific examples of such content, but stated that Apple has previously threatened or even pulled apps for not complying with the rules laid out.

“Apple has no problem threatening other apps with removal as well. Why not Twitter?”, Cuban said, and tweeted “The real issue is what Apple thinks is right or wrong and do they apply it equally to all apps?”

He also posted a screenshot of Apple’s review guidelines highlighting sections 14 and 15 that cover personal attacks and violence. Clause 16 also states that “Apps that present excessively objectionable or crude content will be rejected”.

Cuban’s way to solve the issue as he sees it, is to remove Twitter from the App Store for a few days. He also said that Twitter should be filtering its own content before publication, or monitor images as Facebook and Instagram do.

Even though it’s quite rare, Apple has in the past pulled apps if it decides they are unsavoury. An example earlier this year were several games that include the Confederate flag in an “offensive and mean-spirited” way. A few titles were later added back to the App Store, notable the American Civil War game Ultimate General: Gettysburg.

Cuban has since followed up his original tweets, saying that “People missed my point yesterday. The point is that Apple IS A CENSOR for their apps. I’m curious why they have chosen not to censor twitter”.

SOURCE: Twitter.

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