Sex-based Apps

We are sorry to pass on the news, but Apple has yanked the "explicit" category that was spotted earlier today within the App Store submission software, iTunes Connect.

An iPhone developer tipster told Gizmodo s/he verified the removal by contacting Apple via telephone and were basically told it was something Apple was considering but not to expect to see the explicit option back anytime in the near future.

So it looks like explicit content has seen its day in App Store -- just another reason for some of you to jailbreak, eh?

Apple Senior VP of Marketing, Phil Schiller, was quoted by the New York Times in an article on the removal of 5000 sex-based app from the iTunes App Store:

“It came to the point where we were getting customer complaints from women who found the content getting too degrading and objectionable, as well as parents who were upset with what their kids were able to see.”

To developers who weren't afforded any warning or options to pre-emptively make changes where such changes would have been possible:

“We obviously care about developers, but in the end have to put the needs of the kids and parents first.”

As to why Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit app, the Playboy app, and a few other publication-associated apps were allowed to remain:

“The difference is this is a well-known company with previously published material available broadly in a well-accepted format.”

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."