We use the Facebook API in our web app to provide a "publish to Facebook group" feature directly from the web app. Customers can publish the results they are achieving thanks to our products in our group.
To implement this very simple feature we had to duck, provide screen recordings, send business registration papers, give login credentials, describe the process from every perspective, crawl and bent.
Then
on Dec 15, we received the following message:
"We’re now requiring an admin of your business, [....], to complete access verification. This is a new process that asks for information about how you use the Meta business assets and information of your clients, so we can verify that your business is a Tech Provider."
Also in the same message:
"This typically takes around 10 minutes to complete and you’ll only need to do this once."
Since then I filled in the form 9 times, with serious effort. But every 5 days it just get rejected without a clear reason given, and there is no chance to contact a Facebook support.
Does anyone know how to fill in the "Access Verification - prove you are a Tech Provider form", so I will get accepted?
The actual questions that they keep asking are:
Add details about how your business will use Platform Data (i.e., any info or data you obtain from us) to enable a product or service on behalf of your clients.
Describe how your clients use your product or service.
I already tried the solution proposed here:
Stuck in Facebooks Access Verification hell
quoting their questions, but it has been in vain...
The time is running out, in some days Facebook is going to block the API if we don't pass this verification process, but I don't know what else we can try...
I tried to contact Facebook, but this seems to be impossible. Some forms (App Review Support) just give a generic error message.
I tried to post a request of help to the Facebook Developer Group, but they rejected the request because it's not related to a development issue.
Same when I tried to open a ticket with the Facebook tech support for a bug; they answered that it's not a technical issue.
There is no guide from Facebook on how they want this information to be provided.
I'm trying to request our Facebook app be reviewed in order to add permissions to it however it will not let me until our business has been verified.
I have successfully verified our business, but signing the 'Tech Provider Amendment' is still unchecked in our Apps settings. Where can I find this document in order to sign it?
This is the solution: Sent app to review, after the app is verified successfully the tech provider amendment is sent to you via e-mail
The tech provider amendment (as documented here: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/apps/review/?translation#tech-provider-amendment) is not being sent during the business verification process. Saidly this is just wrong!
Have a look at our conversation with FB here, that should make everything clear: https://developers.facebook.com/support/bugs/1382063485295412/
My app is a sync solution (imagine dropbox).
The user needs to sign in to access the app's features, and if he does not have any account already created, he can sign up.
The sign up asks for email id verification, and this email id is also used if the user has forgotten his password to send him one.
but Apple has rejected this app saying:
17.2: Apps that require users to share personal information, such as email address and date of birth, in order to function will be rejected
We found that your app requires customers to register with personal information to access non-account-based features, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.
Apps cannot require user registration prior to allowing access to app features and content that are not associated specifically to the user. User registration that requires the sharing of personal information must be optional or tied to account-specific functionality. Additionally, the requested information must be relevant to the features.
Although guideline 11.6 of the App Store Review Guidelines requires an application to make subscription content available to all the iOS devices owned by a single user, it is not appropriate to force user registration to meet this requirement; such user registration must be made optional.
It would be appropriate to make it clear to the user that registering will enable them to access the content from any of their iOS devices, and to provide them a way to register at any time, if they wish to later extend access to additional iOS devices
Please help me solve this. Many apps like dropbox/facebook require login.
I don't get the exact reason why they rejected my app.
Also, please guide about the in app purchase, why registering cannot be mandatory
Asked App Store Review people for clarification on their rejection.
They accepted it. and the app got approved :D
Its on Appstore now :)
I also Faced this kind of Problem and my app also Rejected due to this.And Again I Changed my App flow Like User Registration will be Optional. User can See all the Feature of the app with out Registration by skipping this step.If he want to do something user-specific then you can ask to register such as : (user like,comment,photo upload etc) or else he can use the contents and features which are public.
in Case of in-app Purchase You can Prompt user that if He will Register with your app he can able to use this Content in his all devices.
It would be appropriate to make it clear to the user that registering will enable them to access the content from any of their iOS devices, and to provide them a way to register at any time, if they wish to later extend access to additional iOS devices
Apple does not allow apps that require you to share person information to work, like an e-mail address.
You options are, remove the need for an e-mail address or remove account creation form you app and move it to a website.
It also states that you app is asking to create an account to access the full app and even needs the account or acces features that do not require the user to have an account. You can make those features available with out the account creating you might be able to get thru the review.
The reason apps like Facebook and Dropbox got thru the review proces is because they don't have a register option which is in app only. They redirect to a website.
I recently spoke to an Apple Rep over the phone in regards to an app of mine that was also accused of violating clause 17.2.
I explained to him that the email would be used for password recovery, monitoring transactions within the marketplace, and managing any inappropriate behavior (such as users uploading offensive or copyrighted content). The rep responded, "Sir, the clause states 'Apps that require users to share personal information, such as email address and date of birth, in order to function will be rejected'. I cannot allow you to require your users to submit their emails if its not account-based". He did not seem to understand that the emails are account-based for the very sole purpose of security.
I did mention to him that Instagram and Facebook alike require logins at startup. He simply replied, "Yes but those apps are entirely account-based."
Honestly, I felt he was blindly following Apple's Guidelines ("Because that's what it says we must strictly follow!"). He had little understanding of how social networking apps operate, and even less understanding of the law (specifically the DMCA - on a separate issue). Explaining to them how all that works proves to be futile; they wont budge because they are asked to follow Apple's BROAD Clauses as strictly as they do.
My conclusion: I had to compromise the app's user flow such that the app's registration page can be skipped, and all other functions within its marketplace were locked to non-registered users. It makes no sense.
The sign up asks for email id verification, and this email id is also used if the user has forgotten his password to send him one.
Apps cannot require user registration prior to allowing access to app features and content that are not associated specifically to the user.
It seems to me that the point is that you are asking the user to provide his email address as a step towards the creation of a user account. This is different from what dropbox and other apps do (i.e, you provide your credentials for your dropbox account, which is different from your email address, although it can be the same).
You may either remove altogether email verification, or you could postpone it to a later point when you have made clear to the user that this is required to access private information.
I got the same thing last week and this is Apple's reply:
As for the 17.2 issue, a nickname, avatar, or sharing are not inherent or specific features of those social networks, and thus, the user should not be required to register with those services, or provide you with access to their social network accounts. The user should not be prevented from using your app and service if they do not provide this information.
Instead, it would be appropriate use your own authentication method and give users the option to create a nickname and upload an avatar, independent from those networks.
Moreover, we realize that these social networks may be very popular. However, the popularity of the social network is not an appropriate reason to force a user who has not, or chose not to register and provide their personal information to those services, before they can use your app.
Therefore, we ask that you to include your own authentication mechanism to allow the user the option to register only with you, creating an account with only the information needed and relevant to your app's features.
Best regards,
App Store Review
So in short, you have to provide custom authentication and not just use Facebook. Although I've seen many Apps who do require you to login with Facebook.
Thanks,
James
It happened same for me, although the first version was approved, the second version was rejected for this reason, I added the Skip button at the landing view.
It's all summarized in the last paragraph. Apparently, your application doesn't inform the user (in a clear way) that registering is for syncing and from their reply, it seems that your application is useless without the Sign Up.
If that's the case, you should be more specific why you need the user to register.
On a side note, I personally don't like the applications/websites that force you to register before you see or try anything. I hope your application isn't the same.
I created a new Facebook account and verified it with my cell phone. I even see "Your mobile phone has been successfully verified." in https://www.facebook.com/confirmphone.php address.
So, everything seems perfect.
Then, I became Facebook friends with my friend (he is also verified and already created an Application). We are trying to add ME as an ADMIN for this Facebook Application from HIS account.
Even though both are completely verified by phone, HE canNOT add me as ADMIN for that application. He is getting
Only verified developers can be added as listed developers of this application. Read http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=17580 for details.
message all the time.
We waited more than an hour just in case the Facebook system did not recognize my new verification.
In fact, I even tried removing the phone number and get verified again.
None of above did work and still getting the message which does not allow me to become an Admin of the application.
Could you help me?
Thanks in advance
I've heard of people having all kinds of problems with the developer section of Facebook.com
One resolution seems to be to log out of both accounts and log back in again.
It turns out that, facebook itself does not accept my account and thinks it is duplicate account. And in order to make them believe the Facebook team want me to provide these below:
Our systems indicated that your account may not be authentic based on
a variety of factors. If you believe you are being prevented from
creating apps by mistake, please reply to this email with a digital
image of your government-issued identification. Make sure the
identification you provide meets all of the following requirements:
Must be government-issued (e.g. passport, driver's license)
Must be in color
Must clearly show your full name, date of birth, and photo
If possible, please save this file in JPEG image format.
I dont know why they are making such a huge problem.
In my case, I used phone number to login my account and hadn't any email attached. after adding email as a primary contact I was able to verify my developer account.
I know ASIHTTPRequest works perfectly well with HTTPS. All we need is this one line of code:
[myASIHTTPRequest setValidatesSecureCertificate:NO]
Here's my question, I don't have any HTTPS certificates approved by any authority, including the US government. And I am not a US citizen, and my app isn't targeted at the US market. When I submit an app containing the above HTTPS code,
Do I need to check the encryption box when submitting?
If I don't check that box, will the HTTPS code be detected? (Like an private API?)
If I check that box, will I get rejected? (since I don't have any certificates approved by any authority)
If I have to get a certificate approved by someone before my app get approved by the App Store, how long will this apply-and-get-approved process be, and what about the cost?
Thanks in advance!
Do I need to check the encryption box when submitting?
No. Your not encrypting any data on the device, it's only transport encryption provided by apple so don't have to tick the box.
If I don't check that box, will the HTTPS code be detected? (Like an
private API?)
As above, it doesn't matter.
If I check that box, will I get rejected? (since I don't have any
certificates approved by any authority)
If you tick the box you have to fill out a lot more information and your in for a long long wait just getting the legal stuff squared away before you even get to the app review..
If I have to get a certificate approved by someone before my app get
approved by the App Store, how long will this apply-and-get-approved
process be, and what about the cost?
You buy a certificate from any root certificate authority. Certificates expire, so you have to renew it when it runs out. The cost depends on who you buy the certificate from. I would recommend that you shop. You can also get wildcard certificates e.g. *.example.com that would allow you to setup any site ending in .example.com.
The accepted answer is simply wrong, and following its advice puts your app in danger of being removed from the App Store. You should look at the FAQ for Worldwide Trade Compliance on the iTunes Connect site. It clearly states that even if you use iOS-provided HTTPS, you still need to submit an ERN request to the US government. Also, it does not matter that you live outside the US, as your app is distributed by a company (Apple) in the US.
See this blog post for more details, especially the comments, as BIS has recently made it easier to apply.