Damus crypto tipping app reports guideline abuse after clarifying no content is sold

The popular crypto tipping app Damus is making headlines as it faces potential removal from the Apple App Store due to claims of non-compliance with review guidelines.

Apple has reportedly issued a warning to Damus, stating that the app’s version 1.4.3 violates review guidelines, and specifically takes issue with the in-app tipping function.

In a recent tweet, Damus representatives clarified that they updated the app’s user agreement to make its compliance with Apple’s guidelines.

More precisely, the guidelines now clearly state that the application is not selling content and tips can only be given for content that was already published beforehand. This is to clarify that Apple’s limitations on accepting payments outside of its ecosystem to skirt its fees does not apply.

The controversy centers around the tipping function, which, according to Apple, allows users to send “tips” tied to receiving content from digital creators via a mechanism “other than in-app purchase.” The tech giant has given Damus a 14-day window to comply with its guidelines or face removal from the app store.

In response, Damus has taken to Twitter to express its position.

The app clarified in a previous June 13 tweet that it does not facilitate the sale of digital goods or offer features for selling such goods. Instead, it provides a tip button that allows for peer-to-peer transactions akin to Venmo or CashApp. “Users are only ever tipped after posts are made, the idea that content is being sold is nonsense,” the tweet read.

The potential removal of Damus from the app store has sparked concern among bitcoin (BTC) advocates. The app, which operates on the Nostr platform, is considered a significant tool for those innovating on the bitcoin lightning network. Its removal would render it a “dead platform for bitcoin applications trying to innovate on lightning,” according to Damus.

Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has previously thrown his support behind Damus, suggesting in a tweet that the app store might be misunderstanding the function of the Damus feature. “This seems to be a misunderstanding by Apple. It’s a critical part of the future of the internet,” he tweeted, urging Apple’s CEO to reconsider the decision.

Damus, which launched in February 2023, is a unique player in the tech industry. It doesn’t operate like venture-backed startups but represents an exploration into decentralized social networking. Its core concept is an open social network free from central authority, allowing users to participate and share content without the intervention of a centralized entity such as Facebook or Twitter.

The potential removal of Damus from the app store is seen as a major setback for open protocols, which were celebrated by both Damus and Dorsey when the app was first approved at the end of January 2023. With the decision in Apple’s hands, all eyes are now on the tech giant as the future of the Damus app hangs in the balance.