Password requirement for free apps in iOS 6 seems to be erratic

Yesterday, we mentioned that several users were reporting that the latest version of iOS 6 beta was not requiring them to put in their passwords when downloading free apps.
The news spread quickly, but the assumption was premature. It appears that Apple has quickly reversed this behavior via a backend update, and the password requirement is back in place…
9to5Mac points out that it seems like something has changed, essentially overnight, in the way the App Store handles free app downloads. We can confirm this, as all attempts to download free apps this morning have prompted a request for a password entry.
TheNextWeb’s Matthew Panzarino notes that this behavior has already changed several times throughout the past month, so folks shouldn’t assume that anything is set in stone until iOS 6 goes public sometime later this year. Good advice.
Judging by the feedback yesterday, removing the password requirement for free apps would be a welcomed change in iOS 6. But apparently, Apple’s not quite ready to make that call just yet. And that, my friends, is why we jailbreak.
Are you still able to download free apps without a password?