Back in June, Microsoft warned developers that already released apps on the Windows Store that it would start to remove apps that did not have their age rating correctly set starting September 30th. To comply with the new policy, app developers were asked to log in to Dev Center, edit age ratings on their apps and take a brief questionnaire, a process that should have taken approximately five to ten minutes to complete.
As we’re now eleven days past the deadline, it seems that Microsoft has not started removing non-compliant apps from the Windows Store yet. Indeed, a Microsoft spokesperson explained to our colleagues at Neowin that the company will remove non-compliant apps “on a rolling basis.” Here his the full statement:
As we’ve communicated over the last several months, Microsoft has adopted the simplified IARC rating system for app and game submissions to the Windows Store. All Windows Store content is certified by Microsoft to help ensure a quality experience and interact with content that is appropriate for you and your family. The process for removing non-compliant apps is on a rolling basis, as we periodically run tests and remove content that does not meet our quality certification.
It’s still not clear when the company plans to execute its next series of periodic tests, but it the meantime it seems that developers who have yet to update their apps to comply with the new policy could still have some time to do it. We’ll let you know as soon as we learn anything new on this matter.
