Apple Comments on Removal of Sexual-content Apps
Following up on last night’s story about the removal of apps with sexual content from the iTunes App Store, TiPb asked Apple for comment and they responded:
“Whenever we receive customer complaints about objectionable content we review them. If we find these apps contain inappropriate material we remove them and request the developer make any necessary changes in order to be distributed by Apple.”
Developer Frasier Spears blogged about the plethora of sexually-based apps a couple weeks ago after exploring the deployment of the iPod touch at his school:
After some research, preference-tweaking and so on, I have one conclusion to share with you. Despite Steve’s insistence that Apple wouldn’t carry porn in the App Store:
The App Store is so full of soft porn apps that I cannot provide access to the App Store and comply with our acceptable use policies.
He went so far as to file radar bugs with Apple over the inability to filter out inappropriate content.
Putting aside the argument over whether or not Apple changed their policy yesterday or merely began more closely enforcing the policies announced in March, 2008, if filters can be created and deployed by iTunes such that users could control whether or not they (or their children, or whomever) could see sexual or violent or any other age-restricted content on the App Store, that might provide an ideal solution for all involved.
That, or Web Apps again become the alternate, unrestricted App Store.
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1st….. Why control freak APPLE?
What if I start complaining to Apple about available music videos that are focused on sex? Will they take those down?
Don’t get me wrong, I hate the soft porn apps on the App sSore, but Apple’s inconsistancy just baffles me.
I thought there was already parental controls that could prevent these apps from being downloaded?
Oh no, not bikinis!!!! Who will protect our children from seeing women in bikinis?!!? Nice to know these folks have their priorities straight.
two things:
1.) If someone really wants porn on their iPhone, they’ll find a way. It’s retarded that apple really tries to prevent it from happening. but hey i’m glad, then the APP store would be NOTHING BUT porn. NO COOL apps.
2.) Follow me on twitter… http://www.twitter.com/drummerlee
Pj73 11:09am I think we should have an adults section in the app store as long as it is age verified and password protected and shows up as other or something like that. You can find much worse stuff on the Internet. What’s next are they gonna ban safari? Apple needs to losing their grip a little and give the users a choice and more control of the iPhone customization etc! I love my iPhone but I’m startting to feel too restricted!
The only thing that really annoyed me was the proliferation of these apps through the various categories. They should have all been kept in one category, I don’t know which one, lifestyle maybe? Porn is a lifestyle
However, as usual on this matter its a complete double standard from Apple. Doing a app store search for Asian Boobs right now presents me with a huge page of results, Tight Bodies Perky Boobs, Boobs vs Boobs, Asian legs vol 1-7, Hot Sexy Asian Girls vol 1-15, Epic Clevage etc etc.
And iWobble Boobs Premium ships with no photos inside… Seriously, WTF?
The amount of these apps is ridiculous. Also, it’s ridiculous that the only way to control them is by blocking 17+ (years old) apps. That eliminates these crude ones but unfortunately a lot of other useful apps. More controls would be a nice option.
OK, granted, there are a ridiculous number of barely covered T&A apps, and yes, there probably should be a separate category for them. ‘Softcore porn?’. I don’t know. You may call Apple hypocritical, but iny experience the people complaining about this will be the first people complaining if Apple actually introduces across-the-board content-based standards. How many times have we heard that Apple is a dictator? How dare they judge what apps we can run in the background, what software we can run at all? They have taken a great responsibility for customer experience on themselves, and in my opinion they’re doing a pretty good job. I don’t envy them as gatekeepers – but this is a tempest in a teapot – if someone can’t deploy the App Store because the apps violate community standards, then don’t deploy it. End of story.
Well the majority of the ap’s r useless azz hell.
Really, I blame society for this one. Society is the one that says we need to be scared of sex and of naked bodies, but society is also the one that places different values on videos vs apps. for videos, we as a society finally accepted that videos are sexually charged, but we still can’t deal with apps because we think they are a different thing in terms of morality, somehow.
Frankly we have to get over our fears entirely. Seeing a part of the human anatomy is not going to cause one to go into a homicidal rage, but freaking out and talking about seeing a part of the human anatomy as indecent and evil will definitely make a few key people fly into a homicidal rage when all we want to do is something perfectly natural and get naked and have sex so we can have babies and enjoy ourselves.
I don’t understand Apple’s insistence on adhering to puritanical norms. You’d think a company so dedicated to technological advancement would realize what century we’re living in.
And tell me again why are they “exploring the deployment of the iPod touch at his school”?
School budgets so flush these days?
(Here is where someone is bound to jump up and explain how adding cool new technology sparks learning and interest from students. Sorry folks, that dog won’t hunt. Its been proven a huge learning distraction, but one loved by teachers).
@deviladv
So youd want your small children seeing naked exploited people on a phone app? Seriously, theres a huge difference between adults appreciating the human body and little children whose minds are still developing and cant process this.
No one is saying porn or nakedness is bad, but why allow it in a public app store where anyone, including under 16 year olds have access with a button click? Is it REALLY needed on a cell phone? Like others have said if you want it its not hard to find on Safari, but making it THAT accessible makes Apple liable. I dont think many of the commenters here get that part.
I dont think many of you understand how the law works. If people complain and want to go after Apple they can. Theres a HUGE difference between actually providing the content and finding it on the web on your own in terms of their liability. They CAN be liable for Apps that they sell and let through their approval process but not what you seek on out Safari.
I hope they start banning more than half of the useless apps in the store while there at it.
Holy Expletive Deleted! @Deviladv, I sympathize, but what ‘society’ are you blaming? This is so not an issue in Japanese society or Scandanavian society. @JK – how the law works? First, there’s nothing illegal about Apple’s App Store offerings in my country (USA) at least not yet. Sure, people who are offended by something they see in a store window are free to file a lawsuit, but, really, good luck – the iPhone and App Store are not God-given rights, they are product/service offerings from a US based multi-national corporation and they’re not being forced on anyone. @Icebike – the iPod Touch is a decent educational device and the iPad (that “giant iPod Touch”) will be great one. If they’ve got the funding, why not?
Apple is a little like Nintendo and Disney. They’re going to stay family friendly. Porn on the internet isn’t Apple’s responsibility, but selling harcore porn through the app store without any way to verify the age of the purchaser is not going to happen. Steve Jobs owns a big chunk of Disney for a reason: kid and family friendly content is a safe way to make a lot of bank.
I agree that it’s in Steve’s DNA (and so Apple’s DNA) to be family friendly. But what is ‘family friendly’ is very much a matter of time and place. By choosing to be a gatekeeper of content, Apple has placed itself in a very difficult position. I expect as long as Steve’s there, they will be able to manage it, because his experience and (to quote Bill Gates) ‘taste’ is so exceptional. But this issue is exactly the kind of issue that may sink the ‘Apple model’ when Steve is gone.
Like the Internet, there is good and bad. I am getting tired of it all over in the app store. When they started showing up in productivity, then heathcare and fitness?? Keep it confined to entertainment. It would be nice to have a password so parents can block access to the app store in case the kids sneak the phone.
Not any more retarded than school districts banning books about evolution!
@Virtuous
I think you got it backwards. Last time I checked, schools were embracing books evolution while banning books on creationism.
@ AstroSwami: pay for your ads, keep them out of this forum! Thanks.
@ iPhone blog: why do you permit ads to clutter up our discutions?
There’s valid points for each of these comments. Personally, Apple’s new ‘overtly sexual app’ policy doesn’t come as a surprise. They’re too big and mainstream as a company to cater to the adult space. For those interested, a great alternative mobile market place for adult app content is the MiKandi App Store.
I like Dennis’ comment about Apple being a lot like Disney. Vegas wouldn’t be Vegas without having Disney as a comparison. That’s exactly what MiKandi is..”the Vegas” of the App Store world.
MiKandi doesn’t have the censorship or heavy restrictions like other App Stores. As long as it’s legal, it’s good to go. It’s available now on Android devices, but will be available across multiple platforms later this year (Jailbroken iPhone at the top of the list).
You can keep up to date by visiting http://www.blog.mikandi.com for all your adult mobile content news!
-MiKandi Team
So some of you are saying we should all run around naked and thereby solve the problem? You would soon be saying there’s lots of ugly butts out there that need to get dressed. The problem, or part of the problem, is that young boys look at nude or scantily clad women and because of their curiosity and hormonal changes going on they don’t know how to act when around real girls in school or socially, and they do and say stupid inappropriate things. I know, there’s a lot of that going on with older guys too but most of the older guys know there are penalties for inappropriate behavior while 10,11, 12-year-olds don’t.