The GE application could have used that language too. It didn't. It asks about convictions only, not arrests or charges. Perhaps the application asks the question that way because it is the policy of CBP TT programs to respect acquittals and expunctions (it is). And perhaps the reason officers ask about arrest histories at the interview is to gauge honesty and verify the disposition, not because the arrest itself is a disqualifier (it isn't).
I don't believe that someone should answer "yes" to a question when the correct answer is "no" because a different application from a different agency asks a similar but different question on an application used for a different purpose.
I agree. But, I also believe that in the interview, one needs to be very upfront about anything that could potentially be a negative.