A Brief History of Apple Meddling With the App Store

Security experts are incredulous that law enforcement would ask Apple and Google to consider banning or policing apps that support encryption, to which I ask… why?

Throughout the Apple-FBI battle, the company has been held up as a sort of free speech hero. Don't get me wrong, Apple's stance on this specific issue is a good one. But Apple's long history of maintaining obsessive control over the App Store makes law enforcement's suggestion not just not insane—it makes it downright reasonable.

In general, the law enforcement stance toward encryption has been terrible, but if Apple had traditionally fostered a more open App ecosystem, law enforcement wouldn't have reams of precedent to lean on.

Here are a handful of times Apple has meddled with App developers (some of these things, like removing malware, seem defensible. Others, like deleting apps that compete with your own, are less-so). A side note: Some of these apps have since returned to the App Store after Apple required the developers to alter them.

March, 2013: Apple deletes an app called "Sweatshop" and rejects a news game called "Endgame: Syria."

February, 2014: Apple deletes Coinable, CoinJar, and Blockchain, leaving users with no native bitcoin wallet app.

May, 2014: Apple deletes a game called "Weed Firm," which was about growing marijuana.

August, 2014: Apple deletes the app Secret from the App Store in Brazil, following a court order.

December, 2014: Apple deletes "After School," a "mean spirited" messaging app for high school students.

February, 2015: Apple removes guns from App Store promo screenshots.

March 2015: Apple removes an app called "The Whole Pantry" after its developer allegedly made false claims about her cancer diagnosis.

June, 2015: Apple removes games featuring the Confederate Flag, including Civil War games.

September, 2015: Apple removes 300 malware-infected apps from the App Store.

September, 2015: Apple removes an app that tracks US drone strikes over "objectionable content."

October, 2015: Apple removes 250 data-mining apps from the App Store.

October, 2015: Apple says you can't re-download apps you've purchased if they've been taken out of the App Store.

October, 2015: Apple deletes the iFixit app from the App Store, which taught people how to open iPhones.

November, 2015: Apple deletes F.lux screen dimming app (just before the feature was released in a new version of iOS).

January, 2016: Apple removes an app that allowed people to record their iPhone screens.

March, 2016: Apple patents technology that scans and removes swear words from songs.

April, 2016: Apple removes Reddit apps that have a "NSFW" toggle.