Apple has refused to list a Trump-themed satirical video game on its App Store, banning it from going live. The decision has ignited criticism from its publisher John Matze, a notable social media executive and entrepreneur who accuses the tech giant of interfering in the electoral process.
The game, titled “Grand Theft Trump” (GTT), allows players to navigate a cartoon version of President Donald Trump in a quest to collect money and votes, using his well-known quotes and tweets to combat adversaries like the news media and political figures such as Kamala Harris and the FBI. Despite its playful and retro 8-bit design, Apple has labeled the game “defamatory” and likely to “harm a targeted individual or group.”
Related: An introduction to sideloading Android apps
While Google has already approved GTT for its Play Store, Apple’s refusal follows a history of similar conflicts involving Matze. The entrepreneur has previously clashed with Apple over the removal of Parler, a social media platform he founded, which was pulled from the App Store after the January 6 Capitol riot, citing safety concerns. Matze has frequently criticized Apple’s app review policies as anti-competitive and detrimental to consumer and developer interests.
Apple’s stringent app approval process and its control over iOS, which dominates 60 percent of the US market, has been a longstanding point of contention. Critics, including Matze, argue that the company’s policies restrict consumer choice and burden developers, particularly smaller entities trying to enter the market.
Matze called for greater transparency and fairness in how Apple manages its App Store, suggesting that allowing sideloading could help alleviate some of the anti-competitive issues.
“Apple’s ‘walled-garden’ approach is just an excuse to exploit developers and consumers. Apple routinely causes delays in regular updates that jeopardize individual security, unfairly censors and bans apps, and costs developers billions of dollars in arduous compliance efforts, all in blind pursuit of their $85 billion in annual revenue generated through their exorbitant 30% fee. Apple stifles innovation and must be held to account,’ said Matze in a statement.
“Now, as we see Apple arbitrarily blocking our Trump video game, despite allowing countless others, on bogus ‘defamation’ charges,’ it seems they are either moronically tone deaf or deliberately interfering in the 2024 election. We need to shine a light on Apple’s abuses and their anti-competitive behavior. Consumers and lawmakers need to pressure Apple to allow sideloading so that consumers and developers are not held hostage by the whim of a handful of mods. We must demand Apple stop self-dealing and allow fair access to their products.”
