Apple has upped its efforts in cleaning up its App Store, removing hundreds of thousands of spam and clone applications over the past year. It has also updated its App Store Review Guidelines to be stricter in order to align with its efforts.

Focusing on section 4.2.6 of the guidelines, Apple states that “apps created from a commercialised template or app generation service will be rejected.” And this is where Apple has been looking to put its foot down.

According to a TechCrunch report, thee apps removed by Apple includes clones, apps that aren’t 64-bit compatible, apps that haven’t been download for years, and other scams.

Over recent years, there has been a massive influx of apps created using one-click templates. One notable example is the number of Flappy Bird clones that arrived in the wake of its success all looking to ride on the apps coattails toward success. There are also plenty of apps that offer development assistance and construction tools.

The problem with all this, however, is that even Apple has a deal with IBM that enables it to build apps for enterprise customers – so these apps will, in essence, be clones. So, even with these updated guidelines, there remains a grey area. Because I don’t expect Apple to removing its, or IBM’s, apps any time soon.