I can't understand Apple's Critical Alert policy

I can't understand Apple's Critical Alert policy 08 May, 2025 Last week, I launched an iOS app called SuperDose — a simple medication reminder that sends notifications to users when it's time to take their meds. For the app to function properly, it needs access to the Critical Alerts API. Critical Alerts allow notifications to bypass silent mode and Do Not Disturb, which is essential for users who take life-saving medications like those for hypertension. Apple’s own Health app uses Critical Alerts for its medication reminders, so I assumed my use case would qualify. I submitted a request for access to the API, but it was rejected. The rejection email said, "Apps that can't enforce that usage are not likely candidates for this API." That reasoning makes no sense to me — Critical Alerts can only be enabled with explicit user consent. If Apple’s concern is abuse, the opt-in mechanism already covers that. By this logic, even the Health app shouldn't be allowed to use it. What’s even ... Read full article.