Apple Music being promoted in iOS push notifications

Pocketnow

Apple Music being promoted in iOS push notifications — against App Store guidelines

By Jules Wang

Published Feb 19, 2019

Just because Apple makes the iPhone you use doesn't mean you should be left with push notifications bothering you to subscribe to Apple Music.

Apple has apparently gone against section 4.5.4 of its own App Store Review Guidelines in using push notifications to promote its Apple Music service.

Ok, @AppleMusic, you’ve had your notification privileges revoked. pic.twitter.com/kRqmLWvdCr

— Ben (@bbchase) February 15, 2019

The promotion was for users to share a free month’s Apple Music subscription with a friend.

Here is what Apple’s own guideline says about this behavior:

Push Notifications must not be required for the app to function, and should not be used for advertising, promotions, or direct marketing purposes or to send sensitive personal or confidential information. Abuse of these services may result in revocation of your privileges.

It’s happened before: the My Verizon app committed the same infraction in a promotional push notification for, of all things, the Galaxy S9.

That said, guidelines aren’t rules. iPhone and iPad users who wish not to be bothered by such push notifications can disable them in the Notifications area of their system settings.