Is Apple trying to rid the App Store of applications created in Flash?

Seth Weintraub
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November 16, 2009
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Gizmodo is reporting that Apple has added another layer of protection/rejection to the App Store approval process.  According to some (well sourced?) developer Tweets, Apple has added a static analysis tool to look for private API calls inside submitted Apps.  According to Gizmodo, they're looking for apps that have been developed with third party SDKs.

That might not bode well for Adobe's next version of Flash CS5 which features exporting Flash applications to iPhone.  Apple has stated policy that iPhone Apps must be developed with the iPhone development kit, so it is a bit surprising that Adobe would build this process into their Flash software.  The fact that Adobe was secretly working with developers to get apps into the App Store that were made with Flash probably was reason enough for the move...if this is, in fact the case.

Apple also has had issues with applications stealing user phone numbers.  This type of vetting could also find applications from retrieving that information.

Comments (4)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 16, 2009 - 3:12pm

Wouldn't it make more sense that they're trying to block private APIs exposed through Unity instead of Flash? Original article said nothing about Flash. Unity exposes things like the user's phone number and Apple has responsibility to the user to protect them from apps that snoop like that.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 16, 2009 - 3:13pm

Actually, the Adobe Flash process supposedly does not use private APIs. So, maybe they aren't what Apple is looking for, and maybe they'd be safe.

Perhaps it is more to make it easier to know if apps are using private APIs so that apps that don't but may look like they do are not rejected (as has happened a few times before).

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 16, 2009 - 6:33pm

If that was true, I'd bail on Apple all together.  That's just ridiculous.

Bernie (not verified) | November 16, 2009 - 8:37pm

I've recently added ClickToFlash to my system because I hate the way flash chews my CPU.  Too many times either my wife or I have left a web site open on safari and walked away, only to come back to the laptop and find the fans screaming.  The culprit is always flash using up the CPU.  So I'm aware of the effect flash would have on my iPhone and I applaud Apple for stopping that abomination from chewing up the battery on my phone.  I'd like to keep some battery for making calls.  If Apple were to let Flash operate on the phone, I hope they add something like ClickToFlash with a large warning about CPU and Battery consumption.

Just my 2c.