趣头条iOS被下架，或因产品违反App Store规则 – 36Kr
What happened: Content aggregator Qutoutiao was briefly removed from Apple’s China App Store, media outlet 36Kr reported. The app was removed on May 18 and restored on the morning of May 20. Users who already installed the app on iOS devices were not affected by the removal, and the app had been available for download in all Android stores. Qutoutiao told 36Kr that it had reached Apple and was actively investigating the cause of the issue. As of March 2019, Qutoutiao had close to 59 million monthly active users (MAU), according to market research firm Questmobile.
Why it’s important: Qutoutiao’s brief removal could be the result of minor violations to Apple’s App Store terms, as the suspension was restricted to iOS. In 2018, the app saw explosive growth, recording net revenues that increased by more than 400% year-on-year and net losses that surged nearly 21 times year-on-year. It has also been planning to substantially increase the size of its team, pledging to hire 2,000 employees in 2019. The app had previously reached partnerships with media outlets with government ties such as The Paper and People’s Daily.