Developer Console

Restricted Content Policy

This page describes content restrictions for apps that are published to the Amazon Appstore. The examples in each section describe specific app scenarios that violate the Amazon Appstore Content Policies and will be rejected by the Appstore. These lists are not exhaustive, and the examples may change over time as new scenarios arise.

Family-friendly Content

Always keep in mind that the Amazon Appstore is a family-friendly environment. If your app contains content that would not be considered "family-friendly" and does not have adequate safeguards in place for our young customers, your app will be rejected or suppressed from the Amazon Appstore.

Examples of Family-friendly Content Violations:

  • An app that contains vulgarity, profanity, explicit material, or inappropriate content aimed at children or within child-directed content.

Sexually Explicit Content

Amazon prohibits apps containing pornography or that depict sexual acts or sexually explicit material. This includes nudity contained in your app or marketing materials. Amazon does not allow content that drives traffic to adult sites.

Examples of Sexually Explicit Content Violations:

  • An app that has images or animation that contain sexually explicit material and/or textual descriptions of sexual acts.

Violence

Amazon prohibits apps that incite violence or contain excessive depictions of violence.

Examples of Excessive Violence:

  • An app that contains gore, decapitations, or other unsettling content.

Hate Speech

Amazon prohibits apps that contain derogatory comments or hate speech specifically targeting any groups, individuals, religions, or nationalities. Apps must not contain Nazi symbols or other symbols of hate, promote hate speech, incite racial or gender hatred, or promote groups or organizations which support such beliefs.

Examples of Hate Speech Violations:

  • An app that contains derogatory content towards a specific religion.
  • An app that promotes the Ku Klux Klan.

Harassment

Amazon prohibits apps that promote or contain harassment, bullying, or threats.

Sensitive Events

Amazon prohibits apps that do not demonstrate reasonable sensitivity towards tragic events (historic and current), disasters or conflicts.

Examples of Apps Lacking Reasonable Sensitivity:

  • An app that attempts to capitalize on a tragic event, conflict or disaster by monetizing content and does not provide meaningful benefits to the victims
  • An app that disrespectfully portrays a tragic event, conflict, or disaster
  • An app that denies a major tragic event

Alcohol and Tobacco (including E-Cigarettes)

Amazon Appstore apps must not promote the sale of alcohol or tobacco, contain underage use of tobacco or alcohol, or promote excessive use of alcohol or tobacco. These tobacco restrictions also apply to e-cigarettes.

Real-Money Gambling, Gaming and Competitions

We allow real-money gambling, gaming and competition apps in the countries indicated below. Given that these apps are heavily regulated, they must meet the following requirements:

  • Apps must be free to download and install.
  • Apps must be rated as ‘Adult’.
  • Apps must NOT use Amazon In-App Purchasing (IAP) to fund an in-app wallet of real money. IAP may be integrated and used only for non-cash consumables and entitlements.
  • Developer must have, and comply with, all necessary licensing and permissions for the countries, regions and territories in which the app is offered and used.
  • Developer must ensure that the app detects and validates the geo-location of end users to prevent transactions in locations where the underlying gambling, gaming, or competition is prohibited.
  • Developer must prevent under-age end users from using the app.
  • Developer must provide any supporting information that we require during submission.

Only the below categories of apps will be accepted into our Appstore:

  • Sports Betting
  • Daily Fantasy Sports
  • Casino
  • Competitions

Violation of any of the requirements listed in this Real-Money Gambling, Gaming and Competitions section will result in the app being rejected.

Please note that given the validations required due to the sensitivity of these apps, processing times will be longer than regular apps.

Currently, we only offer these apps in the countries and locations listed below:

United States

  • Sports Betting
  • Daily Fantasy Sports
  • Casino
  • Competitions

United Kingdom

  • Casino
  • Sports Betting (including Daily Fantasy Sports where legal)
  • Competitions

Germany

  • Sports Betting

Bitcoins and other Crypto-currencies

Amazon does not allow apps that facilitate the transaction of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoins.

Illegal Activities

Apps published to the Amazon Appstore must not promote or facilitate illegal activities, including but not limited to the following scenarios:

  1. Facilitate torrents, pirated software, or illegal streaming or downloads.
  2. Contain specific advice on how to join an illegal organization.
  3. Provide advice on how to begin or be involved in an illegal lifestyle, such as prostitution, joining the mafia, or joining a gang.
  4. Give guidance on how to create or build dangerous materials (e.g., how to build a bomb, silencer, meth lab, etc.)
  5. Promote or praise terrorism, including detailing specific tactics or recruiting new members for terrorist groups.
  6. Contain illegal or controlled drug use.
  7. Provide information about black market sales of prescription drugs.
  8. Include references to or information regarding forced marriages, purchasable husbands and/or wives, or human trafficking, or facilitation of dowry.
  9. Promote organized crime, terrorism, or other illegal activities meant to undermine local and/or national governments or police.

Regionally Restricted Content

Some countries or regions where Amazon Appstore apps are available may have additional restrictions for what qualifies as "Offensive Content," "Pornography," or "Illegal Activity." Amazon may restrict any app or IAP item from sale in any country or region where the sale or distribution of that app's content would violate that country or region's laws, cultural norms, or sensitivities.

User-Generated Content

Apps that include or link to user-generated content can be problematic because user-generated content is not always moderated. Amazon Appstore does not allow unmoderated content. Therefore, apps that include or link to user-generated content must include a method for filtering objectionable content, an age verification system, and a mechanism to report and remove offensive content.

Examples of User-Generated Content Violations:

  • An app that lacks a user-friendly system for reporting abuse that effectively removes content in violation of your terms.
  • An app that lacks the ability to remove or block abusive users of the service.

Medical Content

Amazon prohibits apps with medical-related content from making false medical claims:

  • Apps cannot make false claims regarding medicine and/or prescription drugs, such as pills claiming to cure all diseases.
  • Apps must not purport to be able to predict the gender of a fetus.

Last updated: Nov 17, 2021