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Apple Reinstates Cal AI After Crackdown on Billing and IAP Violations

The episode signals strict oversight of external payment links in U.S. apps following the Epic Games court order.

Overview

  • Apple said it briefly removed the MyFitnessPal-owned calorie app for multiple rule breaches and restored it after fixes, with the app returning to a top spot in Health & Fitness.
  • One violation was removing Apple’s in‑app purchase during checkout by embedding a Stripe payment flow to sell digital access.
  • Apple cited a misleading paywall that highlighted a lower weekly price while downplaying the actual charge and obscuring auto‑renewal information.
  • It also flagged manipulative tactics, including showing a second, different purchase flow after users declined the first offer.
  • U.S. policy shaped by the Epic Games case allows links to outside payments, but non‑reader apps must also offer Apple’s option, a requirement Apple underscored through this enforcement.