Apple is banning anonymous chat apps from the App Store
Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to say random and anonymous chat apps "do not belong on the App Store and may be removed without notice."
These apps are now lumped together with things like porn, "hot-or-not" voting, and bullying content—basically, stuff Apple doesn't want on its platform.
Why the ban?
Anonymous chat apps are popular with young people but have a reputation for bullying and harassment.
Until now, developers just had to add reporting tools and moderation.
With this new rule, Apple can block whole categories of these apps in one go—no case-by-case review needed.
Apple's recent moves
Apple's timing suggests two things: they're doubling down on child safety and trying to avoid past confusion over why certain apps got removed.
Backlash over removing ICEBlock (an app for tracking immigration enforcement) showed how unclear their rules were.
This update also comes after protestors used anonymous chat apps in places like Nepal and Iran—so Apple seems to be tightening control across the board.