Content policies for Windows Phone
May 31, 2013
To protect the Windows Phone Store service and users of the service, and to address mobile operator requirements, Microsoft has established the following policies for content and metadata offered for distribution in the Windows Phone Store. Microsoft reserves the right to update these policies as needed.
All content in your app and associated metadata (including app name, logos, trademarks, images, sounds, online services, APIs, etc.) must be either originally created by the application provider, appropriately licensed from the third-party rights holder, used as permitted by the rights holder, or used as otherwise permitted by law. Your app must not facilitate unauthorized use of another entity’s intellectual property, including but not limited to: software, music, art, and other copyrighted, trademarked or patented materials or trade secrets.
If an app depicts any mobile or wired telephone, handheld PDA, or any other data and voice communicator, it must be either generic or a Windows Phone device.
Your app must not contain any content that advocates discrimination, hatred, or violence based on considerations of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, gender, age, disability, status as a veteran, religion, sexual orientation or expression, or that promotes organizations devoted to that purpose. Such content can include images or text that perpetuates a negative stereotype of a race, gender, sexual preference or religion. We are particularly inclined to act against content where there is evidence that the intent of posting was to harass, threaten, or insult an individual or group on one of these bases.
Your app must not contain any of the following:
Sex / Nudity – Images that are sexually suggestive or provocative (e.g. sexually provocative touching, bondage, masturbation); provocative images that reveal nipples, genitals, buttocks, or pubic hair.
Content that a reasonable person would consider to be adult or borderline adult content (images, text, video or audio).
Content that generally falls under the category of pornography.
Content that depicts or suggests prostitution.
Content depicting sexual fetishes.
Content of a sexual nature depicting children or animals.
Your app must not contain any of the following:
Content that encourages, facilitates or glamorizes illegal activity in the real world.
Content that is illegal under applicable law or facilitates or promotes illegal gambling, illegal adult content and/or pornography, child pornography, bestiality, piracy, illegal online pharmacies, illegal drugs, or criminal or terrorist activities.
Apps that enable legal gambling in the applicable jurisdiction where legal gambling is allowed may be permitted, subject to the Application Provider's acceptance of additional contract terms.
Content that instructs users how to make bombs or weapons, drugs, or solicits involvement in behavior that is violent or illegal under applicable local law.
Content that facilitates or promotes underage drinking, consumption of illegal drugs, or socially irresponsible behavior due to alcohol or drug consumption (e.g., drinking and driving).
Your app must not contain any of the following:
Realistic or gratuitous violence, including depictions of:
Decapitation, impaling, blood splatter/blood spurting/blood pooling, or gore
Exploding body parts
Guns/weapons pointed toward user/audience (e.g., "Russian Roulette" games)
Strangulation/choking
People or creatures on fire
Cruelty to animals
Audio of humans or animals suffering
Involuntary or physically-resisted sexual interactions with violent or illicit overtones
Rape, sexual assault
Molestation, physical child abuse
Requests or instructions to injure or otherwise harm a real-world person or group of people
Glorification of crimes against humanity such as genocide and torture
Content that is offensive in any country/region to which your app is targeted is not allowed. Content may be considered offensive in certain countries/regions because of local laws or cultural norms. Examples of potentially offensive content in certain countries/regions include, but are not limited to, the following:
Group 1: China
Prohibited sexual content
Disputed territory or region references
Providing or enabling access to content or services that are illegal under applicable local law
Group 2: Albania, Bangladesh, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
People in revealing clothing or sexually suggestive poses
Sexual humor
Intimate References
Group 3: Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Comoros, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
People in revealing clothing or sexually suggestive poses
Intimate References
Alcohol and illegal substance references
Sexual or bathroom humor
Simulated or actual gambling
Game apps must be categorized as Games.
Game apps submitted for publication in Korea, Brazil or Russia require a valid game rating certificate.
If your app is a game that has been rated by a supported ratings board (currently CERO, CRB, DJCTZ, ESRB, FPB, GRB, OFLC - New Zealand, PEGI, and USK), you must submit a valid ratings certificate for the app and include the appropriate content descriptors in your product description.
If a game app is submitted with a rating that is equal to or less restrictive than CERO "B", CRB "PG", DJCTQ "12", ESRB "T", FPB "13", GRB "12", OFLC -New Zealand "PG", PEGI "12", CSRR "15", or USK "12", it will be presumed to comply with these content policies. Game apps rated CERO "Z", CRB "MA 15+", DJCTQ "18", ESRB "M", FPB "18", GRB "15", OFLC - New Zealand "R18", PEGI "18", CSRR "18+", or USK "18", may be accepted but could be blocked from download based on Windows Phone parental controls.
