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Joe Hewitt told TechCrunch that he can no longer live with Apple’s insistence on reviewing every iPhone and iPod touch app to ensure that it meets the company’s guidelines.

“I respect their right to manage their platform

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however they want, however I am philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process. I am very concerned that they are setting a horrible precedent for other software platforms, and soon gatekeepers will start infesting the lives of every software developer.”

In fact that doesn’t appear to have been the case, with rival phone makers going to some lengths to stress that they don’t impose restrictions on developers.

Hewitt said that he now plans to focus on developing for the “still unrestricted and free” web and has passed the Facebook app to another developer.

Apple, meanwhile, is giving developers more information about the review process. The company’s Developer Center is now displaying the status of each app as it undergoes review, though it hasn’t eased up on any of the restrictions imposed, which include a ban on “offensive” content and on apps that degrade performance or security.