Apple’s Cal AI hack shows it’s still active on the App Store

Apple’s latest crackdown on MyFitnessPal owners AI horse app cut shows that the tech giant is still enforcing its strict App Store rules on foreign currency spending. A calorie counter program, which was briefly removed from App Store last week, they tried to follow Apple’s in-app purchases guidelines and also used deceptive methods, Apple told TechCrunch.

The developer has resolved the issue, and the app has returned to Apple’s App Store.

Rejection of Cal AI’s App Store produced and around on social media last week. Apple seems to be creating a model for the company, which was founded by high school students who grew the business to $50 million in ARR before he was taken by MyFitnessPal in March.

At first, there was concern that Apple simply removed the app to use online payments instead of Apple’s in-app purchases (or IAP), although this is allowed.

Currently, the Apple App Store Guidelines allow US developers to do so connection to external payment systemsbecause of a court decision in a lawsuit brought by Apple and Epic Games. In most cases, however, apps are still required to provide Apple’s in-app purchase option along with any external link. (The main exception here is what Apple calls “reader” apps – meaning those that offer subscriptions to digital content, such as books, audio, music, video streaming, etc. Cal AI does not qualify for this exception.)

Apple, when reached for comment, said the app’s removal was due to multiple violations of its policies, including ignoring Apple’s in-app purchases, using fraudulent payment methods, and other fraudulent practices. The news shows that Apple is still policing how developers use online payments, even though Epic’s decision loosened some of the previous restrictions.

Chief among the violations, Apple said Cal AI bypassed Apple’s in-app purchases by implementing an in-app payment method using a third party (in this case, Stripe) to unlock access to digital products. In doing so, it removed Apple in-app purchases (IAP) as an option for users to check out. This broke it Apple’s App Review Guidelines 3.1.1which requires the IAP to be provided along with the external link.

Apple said the company also engaged in fraudulent billing practices, a violation Recommendation 3.1.2clike Cal AI’s paywall is designed to mislead and confuse consumers. In particular, the paywall displays weekly calculated prices more clearly than the actual amount a user can pay. It also included an update to the free trial that hides information about auto-renewal of subscriptions.

Cal AI was also cited for using “deceptive techniques,” Apple said, in violation Guide to the Developer Code of Conduct 5.6. One problem was that the program would encourage users who declined the first subscription with a second option to purchase a subscription. In addition, the app had many negative reviews from users who accused the app of being fraudulent due to the way it displayed its third-party payment methods.

After his rejection, Cal AI answered the questions, to allow this to return at the store, Apple confirmed.

MyFitnessPal and Cal AI did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Cal AI wanted to test the waters to see how well Apple’s software review team is following its rules after the Apple-Epic court ruling. Apple’s response should be a warning that the tech giant is still working on its App Store – even at the risk of losing its money for the viral app, which today sits at number 4 on the App Store Health & Fitness charts.