Apple App Store Review Guidelines

This document is Apple's App Store Review Guidelines, governing the submission, review, distribution, and ongoing compliance requirements for apps distributed through the Apple App Store and related Apple platforms, including alternative distribution channels available in specific markets. The guidelines assert that developers must use Apple's in-app purchase system for digital goods and services, comply with content, safety, privacy, and technical requirements, and remain subject to removal from the App Store or expulsion from the Apple Developer Program for violations including review manipulation, data theft, guideline breaches, and fraudulent conduct. Notable provisions include the mandatory in-app purchase requirement for unlocking digital content or functionality, which restricts developers from using external payment mechanisms except through specifically authorized entitlements available in select storefronts, and commission obligations tied to Apple's payment infrastructure; the guidelines also establish that Apple may modify rules at any time for new app types and that developers bear responsibility for third-party SDKs, ad networks, and analytics services within their apps. The guidelines engage GDPR and CCPA through privacy data collection and consent requirements, COPPA through Kids Category restrictions on data collection and advertising, FDA frameworks through medical app accuracy and regulatory clearance requirements, and competition law frameworks in the EU and other markets where alternative distribution and external purchase link entitlements are available. Compliance teams evaluating developer agreements should assess obligations around in-app purchase commission structures, data handling responsibilities for third-party SDK integrations, age-gating and parental consent mechanisms, and jurisdiction-specific alternative distribution rules, particularly in the EU under the Digital Markets Act context.