iPhone Apps should be subject to classification, board says

The Australian Classification Board has written to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy regarding its inability to screen and classify apps being sold through the Apple App Store.

But a prominent iPhone app developer has expressed his opposition to such a move that would place apps through classification, saying it would be an extra burden to the expensive development process.

Any development allowing the ACB to classify apps could also mean certain applications already approved by Apple could be banned from sale.

In a Senate Estimates Committee earlier this week, ACB director Donald McDonald said he had written to the minister expressing his concern regarding the apps rating system.

“I recently wrote to the minister [Senator Conroy] regarding my concern that some so-called mobile phone applications, which can be purchased online or either downloaded to mobile phones or played online via mobile phone access, are not being submitted to the board for classification,” he said.

He made the comment after he told the Committee the ACB had finally given the popular video game “World of Warcraft” an “M” rating five years after its release.

“While this is not the first online game to be classified by the board, World of Warcraft is arguably the most popular online game in the world, and the fact that it was not classified attracted industry and media interest,” McDonald said.

It is understood McDonald was referring to video game applications, which is by far the most popular application category on the App Store.

Allowing applications to be submitted through a ratings process, in which it would be given a title such as “G” or “PG”, would mean thousands of apps would be submitted through two separate processes.

But this could mean apps already approved by Apple could be banned by the ACB, as Australia does not currently have an “R” rating for video games. Instead, any game that receives an “R” rating is banned from sale.

Marc Edwards, chief executive of development studio Bjango, says an extra classifications process would be a burden on smaller studios.

“If this ends up being the case, there is time and money involved in a move like this and it isn’t conducive to letting smaller developers flourish.”

“It might be a good thing to maintain consistency, but it’s probably going to be seen as a negative. It’s a burden on everyone, even large developers, because it’s an additional worry and cost.”