Leaked document apparently shows AppGratis enticed developers with potential high App Store rankings

Business Insider has obtained a leaked document that seems to show that AppGratis enticed developers with potential high iTunes App Store rankings. According to the document, AppGratis said that if a developer invests $100,000 with them, an app will likely reach the top 5 spots on the App Store top charts.

Of course, reaching the top of the App Store rankings is highly lucrative as hundreds of millions of iOS devices are given a prominent view to the top of the App Store charts.

AppGratis was reportedly originally pulled from the App Store for mimicking Apple's App Store and for sending its users ad-like push notifications. Of course, the aforementioned apparent move by AppGratis to inflate rankings is a serious concern for Apple and it is something that Apple, of course, wants to keep out of its App Store. Interestingly, AppGratis, yesterday, seems to have denied participating in inflating App Store rankings.

Since the App Store algorithm has been based on download velocity only for so long, advertisers know exactly what they are doing.Reaching the the top of any App Store is a simple and logical equation. But we're not in this business.

Apple under fire again from Chinese government – this time it’s a porn investigation

Photo: tabtimes.com

Apple's rather bumpy ride in China continues with the state-run People's Daily including the company's App Store in a list of online stores and websites investigated for 'providing pornographic content' in China.

It's an ironic charge for a company with a well-known opposition to pornography. Apple does not allow pornographic content in its App Store, and has a record of removing apps which are found to be in breach of this term …

Apple had previously come under fire for warranty policies, something which appeared to have been resolved by a statement and apology by Tim Cook.

The latest controversy appears for the moment to be low-key. The Wall Street Journal reports:

The People's Daily article is not featured prominently in Wednesday's paper, nor does it make efforts to emphasize Apple, which is listed next to the names of other app stores singled out in the middle of the second paragraph of the article …

Nonetheless the mention does put Apple in an uncomfortable parallel with Google. Some analysts compared Apple's run-in with state media last month to Google's difficulties with China Central Television, which accused the company of spreading pornography in 2009. The accusations presaged deeper difficulties in China, including hacking attacks that led Google to move its operations to Hong Kong in 2010.