Damus – Web3 Social Network “Counterpart to Twitter” – Faces Potential Removal from Apple Store
Apple has issued an ultimatum to the creators of the Damus app, requiring compliance with their policies within the next 14 days.
Damus – Web3 Social Network “Counterpart to Twitter” – Faces Potential Removal from Apple Store
On the afternoon of June 13, 2023, Damus’ official Twitter account announced a warning regarding the potential removal of the app from the Apple Store. The announcement included an image of the email notification from Apple.
Specifically, Damus will be removed from the Apple App Store in 14 days unless an updated version that complies with Apple’s policies is submitted.
Damus will be removed from the app store in 14 days, apple says zaps are not allowed on their platform because they *could* be used by content creators to sell digital content. This is right before we’re about to give our talk at the oslo freedom forum on how decentralized social… pic.twitter.com/uAK1U0UBet
— Damus⚡️ (@damusapp) June 13, 2023
“To ensure no interruption to your app’s availability on the App Store, please submit an update within 14 days of receiving this notice. If we do not receive an update that complies with the App Store Review Guidelines within 14 days, your app will be removed.”
This warning is understood by many users to be directed at the “Zaps” feature, which allows users to earn Bitcoin through posts. Apple considers this feature to be utilizing a mechanism outside of the App Store:
“We have noted that your app allows users to send 'tips' related to receiving content from digital content creators via a mechanism other than in-app purchases,” Apple stated. “While tips or donations can be optional, if they are related to or connected with receiving digital content, they must use in-app purchases as per guideline 3.1.1.”
Apple’s Warning on Removing Damus from the App Store
Apple’s warning is indeed accurate regarding this app. Damus is a decentralized social media application built on Nostr, which is censorship-resistant and often compared to Twitter.
The social network is popular within the Bitcoin community due to its direct support for payments via the Lightning Network. Damus has integrated the Layer 2 Lightning Network to facilitate Bitcoin payments and tips directly on the platform.
Breaking! Apple still wants digital goods to be transacted through their in-app purchasing platform. Who could have guessed?!
— Don Flo (@DonSuperFlo) June 13, 2023
According to Nostr’s explanation of the “Zaps” feature:
“Zaps are simply tips. Tips can be transferred via the Lightning Network at lightning speed and are essentially free of transaction fees.”
Thus, they do not fit within Apple’s “in-app purchase” mechanism.
Damus Forced to Remove “Zaps” Feature
Damus’ lead developer, William Casarin, stated that the Zaps feature will need to be removed to remain on the Apple Store. “We may end up doing this,” he said, as the app “will be removed if we don’t.”
Damus clarified that “it does not sell any digital products or offer features that can sell digital products. It simply has a tip button to facilitate peer-to-peer transactions like Venmo or CashApp,” as mentioned in a tweet.
If Apple proceeds with removing Damus, it would represent “a blow to Bitcoin apps trying to innovate on the Lightning Network,” Damus remarked.
Although Damus only officially launched on the Apple Store in February 2023, it quickly amassed 40,000 users and ranked among the top 10 social media apps in the U.S. Apple Store, making it a “hot target” for hackers and previously receiving endorsements from major industry figures.
In December 2022, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey donated 14 BTC, valued at $245,000 at the time, to the Nostr team.
Former U.S. intelligence agency employee Edward Snowden, known for his advocacy of privacy, also highlighted Nostr’s features by congratulating Damus on its Apple Store debut in February through a post by Dorsey.
