Famous Pulled From App Store by Apple for Violating Guidelines

Advertisement
By Manish Singh | Updated: 24 February 2016 17:17 IST
Famous Pulled From App Store by Apple for Violating Guidelines

Controversial game Famous has again gone missing from the App Store. This time, it is Apple that has pulled the app. Developers behind Famous have confirmed that the Cupertino-based company pulled their app citing violation of its guidelines. The app, in the meantime, continues to exist on the Google Play, Android's marquee app store.

In less than a week since Famous was re-launched on the App Store, Apple flagged it as offensive and pulled it from the App Store. The app was designed to rate people with a numerical value, which is wrong in the eyes of Apple.

Famous is the re-branded version of Stolen, an game that allowed users to collect Twitter profiles. The app received a lot of criticism, after which Siqi Chen, the creator of Stolen pulled the app to rethink the strategy and address concerns raised by people.

Despite criticism, the app saw a quick growth, garnering about 40,000 players. "Our goal with taking it down...has just been to make sure we stop what is happening -- that we stop the harm, real and perceived, that people are getting from the existence of our product," Chen told The Verge. "We didn't spend hours and months, sweat and tears to build something like this and have people see it this way. This is not who we are."

Advertisement

A supposed less defamatory version of the app dubbed Famous was relaunched on the App Store earlier this week. The biggest difference between the two apps is that Famous is opt-in, and, that instead of stealing and owning profiles, users can become their biggest fans.

Apple said that Famous is violating 14.1 clause of its guidelines. The agreement reads that Apple could remove "any app that is defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harm's way will be rejected."

Advertisement

The removal of the app raises a number of questions in Apple's guidelines. The iPhone maker hadn't pulled Stolen, which was supposedly even more defamatory. As for the issue around rating people, many apps such as Klout rate individuals. In the meantime, the app continues to exist on Android.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Canva Code Review: Vibe Coding Meets Creative User Experience Design
  2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Pre-Orders Reportedly Outpace the Galaxy Z Flip 7
  3. CMF Watch 3 Pro Launched With Up to 13 Days Battery Life: Price, Features
  4. BSNL Rs. 197 Prepaid Plan's Validity Reduced: Old vs. New Benefits
  5. [Exclusive] Oppo K13 Turbo Series to Launch in India in Early August
  6. CMF Buds 2, CMF Buds 2 Plus Can Be Purchased for a Limited Time Today
  7. AirPods Production in India Faces Setback as China Restricts Exports: Report
  8. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Price in India Slashed After Galaxy Z Fold 7 Launch
  9. Xiaomi 16 Series May Include 50-Megapixel Selfie Cameras
  10. AMD's New AI Image Model Can Run Locally on Ryzen AI Laptops
  1. Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Gets One UI 8 Watch Update With Wear OS 6 Features
  2. AMD Unveils Stable Diffusion 3 Medium Model With Support for 4-Megapixel Image Generation on Ryzen AI Laptops
  3. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Reportedly Outpaces Galaxy Z Flip 7 in Pre-Orders in South Korea
  4. Lava Blaze Dragon 5G Price Range, Key Features Revealed Ahead of July 25 Launch in India
  5. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Price in India Slashed After Galaxy Z Fold 7 Launch
  6. Honor Pad GT 2 Pro With Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, 10,100mAh Battery Launched: Price, Specifications
  7. CMF Watch 3 Pro Launched With 1.43-Inch AMOLED Screen, Up to 13 Days Battery Life: Price, Features
  8. Netflix Reportedly Testing Runway’s AI Video Tools in Content Production
  9. Vivo V60 Could Launch in India on August 12; Key Specifications and Price Tipped
  10. iOS 18.6 Release Candidate Beta Released Alongside macOS 15.6 RC and More for Both Public and Developers
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.