With OS 3.0, Apple added parental controls to the iPhone. Therefore, each application in the iTunes App store needs an age rating from 4+ to 17+ (true "adult" content cannot be sold via the app-store at all).

During the submission of an app, the developer has to answer questions like: "Does the app contain nudity?", "Does the app contain obscene language?", "Does the app contain simulated gambling?". Based on the answers, iTunes calculates the age rating.

Two weeks ago, I submitted a bug-fix for KTdict C-D (there is an error handling the German "ü" correctly, which I realized after some bad reviews). I thought a dictionary shouldn't be a problem for children, so I answered all these questions with "none". This gives an age rating of 4+, which is no change to the current version.

One week later the surprise: Apple rejected the update due to "profanity" and "mature/suggestive themes". Okay - they obviously found some "dirty" words in the dictionary. As I didn't want to censor, I changed the age rating by moving "profanity" and "mature/suggestive themes" to "mild". This increases age rating to 9+.

One week later the next surprise: App again rejected. This time the reason is "sexual content in Chinese". So I change now also this setting, which makes KTdict C-D now a 12+ app. I hope Apple will release the update this time, so it makes it finally to my customers.

I must say that I find this pretty annoying. It would be O.K. with me if Apple would say: We looked at your app and think it should be rated 17+. But right now, I have to play trial and error to see what Apple thinks about an app. Due to the review process, each trial costs one week.

Anyway: I hope to get the update out soon and not to lose too many customers between 4 and 9 years of age...