Apple rejects Start Mobile Wallpaper Gallery app for featuring Barack Obama’s Hope picture

Apple rejects Start Mobile Wallpaper Gallery app for featuring Barack Obama’s Hope picture

Yet another controversial mobile app rejection by Apple is making news today.

Apple has rejected an application named Start Mobile Wallpaper Gallery which featured the very popular Hope image featuring US President Barack Obama.

Apple said this in their rejection email:

Thank you for submitting Start Mobile Wallpaper Gallery to the App Store. We’ve reviewed Start Mobile Wallpaper Gallery and determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store because it contains content that ridicules public figures and is in violation of Section 3.3.12 from the iPhone SDK Agreement which states:

“Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgement may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.”

An example of a public figure is attached.

If you believe that you can make the necessary changes so that Start Mobile Wallpaper Gallery does not violate the iPhone SDK Agreement we encourage you to do so and resubmit it for review.

This is despite the fact that the photo in question does not really ridicule anyone. And it is available in the collections of Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Checkout: Want The Obama “Hope” Artwork On Your iPhone? Nope, Says Apple.