Last night, we reported on a new restriction that was being applied to Apple’s App Store: no more applications with “overtly sexual content”. At this point, the exact nature of that ban is unclear. But it’s a policy shift that may alarm many developers — even those whose applications have nothing to do with sexy content.
First, a little background: we’ve seen numerous reports about applications that have been pulled from the App Store for featuring sexual content, but there are still plenty of apps that have names like “Magic Boobs”. I reached out to Apple PR to ask if they’d enacted a sweeping policy change that could affect many applications, or if they were only removing a handful of applications with especially explicit content. This morning an Apple spokesperson sent back a response. It doesn’t have any answers:
“Whenever we receive customer complaints about objectionable content we review them. If we find apps that contain inappropriate material we remove them from the App Store and request the developer to make any necessary changes to their apps in order to be distributed by Apple.”
I’ve asked Apple to further clarify their stance — does this only apply to applications that have received complaints? Do they have any plans to specify what exactly makes an application too sexy for the App Store? I’ll be surprised if they get much more specific.
Now, it’s true that many of these “sexy” applications were little more than spam, featuring titillating titles, perhaps a handful of sexy photos, and little else. There were some applications that included more functionality, but it’s safe to say that the average quality of the applications on the App Store has almost certainly improved because of the new ban. But it’s still a disturbing move on Apple’s part.
Most worrying is that “sexy” applications were already blocked at one point until Apple specifically changed its policies to begin letting them in. It was only a little over a year ago that the words “Boobs” and “Booty” in an application’s description weren’t allowed. But Apple made the conscious decision to lift that ban. In effect, Apple sent a message to developers that on a platform where the rules are nebulous and anything innovative is risky, these applications were safe. Now it’s changing its mind.
Since the App Store first launched in July 2008, Apple has gradually loosened restrictions on what kinds of applications it would approve. In December 2008, it started approving “humor” apps like iFart and Pull My Finger, as well as an NC-17 rating for adult applications. And over the last year, it began allowing more and more sexy applications — it even began offering parental controls with the iPhone 3.0 software update to help parents keep what their kids accessed in check.
Now Apple is moving in the other direction, and it’s setting a scary precedent. It’s showing that it’s comfortable throwing out applications that developers have spent their time and money building, without even bothering to give them advance notice. It’s one thing to have an application get denied when it’s first submitted — it’s another thing entirely to have the rug pulled out from under you once your app has thousands of downloads and customers. Is Apple going to start blocking apps like Qik if it builds its own live streaming service? Are iFart’s days numbered? Could Apple simply ban all NC-17 rated applications because too many parents complain?
And then there’s an entirely different issue: censorship. Apple is now one of the world’s largest gatekeepers to content, with a store that encompasses music, video, applications, and soon, books and magazines. And it’s shown before that it’s a totally inconsistent hypocrite when it comes to which content it’s willing to sell. Have exposed breasts in an R rated move? Sell it! Jiggling boobs in a silly iPhone application? Banned. Apple previously blocked an iPhone application that allowed users to access the Kama Sutra. What happens if it gets too many complaints about iTunes making it too easy to purchase books and magazines with sexual content?
Apple! Now better than sex!
The iPhone! Not for wankers!
+1
“Apple is now one of the world’s largest gatekeepers to content” ???? What’s that mean?? “gatekeepers?”
You’ve gat to be kidding!
MG, you can get your daily quota of sex/porn in hundreds of places… Why would you need an iPnone app?
You do realize that this was written by Jason Kincaid, and not MG, do you? Stupid comment
It’s b/c the policy maker for itunes is an Amish guy…
http://www.techwankers.com/2010/02/20/interview-with-apple-itunes-policy-director-jebediah-farmalot-on-no-adult-content-apps/
If ever this article holds some truth and apple really did do that.. I think its a FAIL.. Seeing, Mikandi (Android Porn APP) attracting thousands of download everyday from users. .
Take another “peek” with the new application: http://bit.ly/mikandi-porn-application-best-or-worst
Let’s face it, everyone loves to become a peepin tom sometimes.. right?
haha, that was a good one!!!
“Knocki Knocki.”
“Whose there?”
“Techwunch.”
“Techcrunch who?”
“It’s noon and I’m hungwi. Ret’s Techwunch in da office today so we can watch porn while we eat.”
You all are too childish to understand what this article is actually about. Censorship..you know, that extremely un-American concept used to keep Nazis and Mullahs in power.
This article is about Apple’s arbitrary and capricious policies regarding the content released in its marketplace. In fact, I can’t wait until they start getting sued for their policies. Wouldn’t it be fun to watch Steve Jobs tell a federal judge…”But I’m Steve Jobs and the Constitution doesn’t apply to me…unless I want it to.”
how’s that different from the media ‘censorship’ when it come to content judged too sexual or offensive to their audience ?
How’s it any different from banning a gay ad from the superbowl ?
I think your argument goes nowhere as America is also the land of free capitalism and a ceo may do whatever he please to make money as long as it is legal.
Protection from censorship is protection from government censorship. It doesn’t (generally) extend to private services like what Apple provides any more than NBC is obligated to show a commercial featuring topless women. It is censorship, but that’s ok. I’d censor someone who came into my house and started screaming racial epithets, as I imagine you would.
That’s what the web is for. As the only successful micropayment store on the web. I respect the the way Apple is exploring this space.
You have IT ALL WRONG!!!!
The issue is that there are specific apps that thwart the age restriction guidelines and end up show in appropriate content to the wrong age groups or people who dont want to see it. Even with age restrictions on they are appearing.
So I sent an email to apple and the developer. I asked the developer to adjust his ratings…of course no response.
I expect that when I have put a setting on a pod or a ph that my 5/8/10 yr old can surf apps for fun without asking me “Daddy is boobs a dirty word”?
“Why does it say sexy boobs daddy”
So leave your Silcon Valley Cube and get off your moral relativism b.s and enter the real world.
Amazing I didnt make it past 4 post b4 seeing no one think about this from the ‘other’ person perspective.
You Americans are so venomous and spiteful against opposing opinions
Maybe time to move back to Australia.
its called a joke.
1. I’ve lived in America, and it has to be THE most censored places in the free world. You Americans need to get over your “protecting freedom” and actually get some.
2. Apple may be an “American” company, but they provide a product and service to the world. Open your eyes and see that they are accountable to far more than the rules of one country.
(sorry to provoke anyone one here, but there will be a tonne of non-US people out there who are sick of the ignorance and arrogance of Americans who think the world (and Apple) is all about them.
Hey it’s their platform. They can do what they want with it. I, for one, enjoy this new series of bannings. Always good to keep things tidy and clean.
would love that to be their next advert.
@igniman +1 Brilliant!
Consumer should decide i think..i do understand where they’re coming from though
Why do you keep pushing your youtube video in comments on TechCrunch…? Third post I’ve seen it and its completely irrelevant to the post itself…
can you please stop spamming your stupid video. it takes up place. i have to scroll more. i am annoyed.
I have a question. If this is so alarming for developers, then they don’t they just develop elsewhere? How about Apple just open the doors for everything? “Baby Shaker” could come back. “I Am Rich” could return. What’s next? “Shoot the Jew”? The entire app store would be overrun with complete garbage that would drown out any legitimate, quality apps. If a developer is using their money, time and energy creating these useless so-called “entertainment” apps, then they are wasting programming talent.
I hope apple gets rid of the fart ones next, as they also serve no purpose. If people want that lame garbage, they can get a lowbrow platform and phone. Is it elitist to say that? Hell yes it is, but if I pay a premium price, I want a premium experience.
YEAH! What doesn’t Apple do this with MacBooks too! I need everything to come Steve Jobs approved before I use it!
Or, how about, if you want a premium experience, just get premium apps. No one is forcing you to get iFart apps and Boobs Jiggler. Sure, they litter the store, but Apple’s terrible handling of App Store browsing is more to blame than the apps themselves. Censoring is evil. Bottom line.
Wrong. Let the consumer decide. If they don’t want it they won’t buy it. If you don’t want to look at the list of adult apps, fart apps, or rich people apps you don’t have to. Not to mention that a password protected content filter would be cake for apple to build into the app store. Xbox live and just about everyother service out there does it just fine. I pay for a premium service and I have a brain in my scull that allows me to pick what I want to buy I don’t pay for someone else to tell me what I can or want to buy.
This may very well be a restriction on content in the iTMS, but that is the only channel. This premium experience you speak of is a great ideal, however at some point content that challenges Apple’s, and your, opinion needs a place.
Have you heard of this thing called the Internet? It doesn’t have an approval system. There are a lot of bad web sites/apps but there are so much more good ones.
>>The entire app store would be overrun with complete garbage that would drown out any legitimate, quality apps
What do you mean? I thought this was already the case. Why single out the sexually suggestive and bodily function apps? Might as well round up Texts From Last Night, iBeer and a few thousand others while you’re at it.
A very decision taken by Apple and it will be really great of they put this into action and bad news for many developers.
Huh? English please
translation:
A very ‘good’ decision taken by Apple and it will be really great of they put this into action and bad news for many developers.
Thanks for the translation, now I need to know why he thinks it’s great to ban sexy apps. I’m still scratching my head around this one.
translation:
A very ‘good’ decision taken by Apple and it will be really great ‘if’ they put this into action and bad news for many developers.
Fixed
Retarded. I just don’t get America’s puritanical views on sex. It’s ok to show a guy’s head getting smashed in but it’s not ok to show the natural act of sex.
Explosions and body parts flying… good…. blow jobs… bad. Torture and mutilation good, showing private parts bad.
I just don’t get it.
I hope you are being satirical with your use of retarded. We don’t like people that make fun of retarded people here in “The States” unless it’s irony.
American Puritanical views originate with the Puritans, which left England and The Netherlands to escape religious persecution, so they could do their own wacky thing (aka religion). In 1776, we declared Independence from England. Ben Franklin was way more awesome as an American than an Englishman. Then we got bombed in Pearl Harbor (Harbour for you probably) and joined in the fight against Lame Kampf. We also went to the moon, and defeated communism.
The Puritans left the cesspool of religious intolerance in the Netherlands to help set up a new country. Seems everybody won.
Guys, I wasn’t serious. Except about Jefferson, that guy was awesome, and I’m glad he’s ours.
I’m like Rush Limbaugh. Satire? You betcha!
Deal with it.
Gays should get married if they want, freedom, that what makes this country awesome. Right? And now (to bring it full circle) Apple is taking away our right to choose. I bought the effing device, I can look at boobs if I want.
Two Part Comment Victory.
True, and after all these great things, you are still afraid of people seeing boobs.
Yeah, but gays are bad too. It’s hard here.
Impressive. You managed to morph “Apple’s policy is retarded” into “Americans are retarded” and then got offended. Are you American?
Apples ban on sexy apps = America’s puritanical view on sex. And yes I am American. Born and raised. But my parents are from Europe and i get to see both sides.
And to view brutal acts of violence > natural human act = complete and utter idiocy.
Easy Pepe, I’m an American too and I know our history. And yes I said retarded in a joking manner.
And it’s still “retarded” that we think blood, guts and gore is better than tits, dick and ass.
As an American, did you know we are awesome? I did. John Lennon moved here because he knew it. “Today America is the Roman Empire and New York is Rome itself.”
Fun fact: Elvis conspired to have Lennon removed from the country because Lennon was way better than Elvis.
50 years ago…
You make it sound as if it’s part of your identity.
Isn’t it ironic that we are talking about a company run by a guy who used to trip on LSD?
What’s really ironic is that William Henry Harrison was only in office for like 30 days.
True story.
hahahahah tipic retarded American post……amazing…..come on its 2010 not 1750….get over Americans please! the whole world is LOL on this and many other bullshit your government and biggest companies are pulling out every single day!
I wonder if we could see the Kindle app getting pulled if/when Apple brings its iBooks app to the iPhone..
Could this be the reason?
http://news.oneindia.in/2010/02/18/chinato-crackdown-on-porn-transmitted-through-mobilephones.html
Beijing, Feb 18(ANI): Chinese authorities have unveiled tougher measures to clean up the telecommunications industry in the country, and said offensive material transmitted through mobile phones will be the main target of a crackdown on Internet porn.
In an official statement on its official website, the Chinese Industry and Information Technology Ministry said that it will introduce tougher measures to fight illegal mobile phone and Internet content providers as it has become much easier for them to evade supervision by the relevant authorities, The China Daily reports.
I couldn’t agree more. As an iPhone/iPod/iPad developer who works directly and indirectly with sexual content applications, this is NOT okay. Apple made it clear that more sexual content would be allowed, and we’ve made development choices based on that result. I’ve invested time and money into applications that now may never see the light of day. Moreover, if the sole litmus is the number of users who consider content ‘objectionable’ then plenty of other work is vulnerable. As Apple moves forward with the iPad, more and more computing tasks will move to devices running a proprietary, closed OS that keeps users from making decisions for themselves. Developers already have to declare an age-rating for applications, why is additional censorship necessary? The app store is the only way for users to install applications without violating at minimum their warrantees. So long as Apple restricts downloads to App Store only, they need to find a way to allow content regardless of whose sensibilities it might offend. Taking decisions about their own devices out of users’ hands is unacceptable. If you don’t like something, don’t download it, but let the rest of us make our own decisions.
Daniel. Completely agree.
On the phone today, they said it was the publics decision that made them create new ‘guidelines’ (yet to be released). However, I personally cant see that the public made a decision to have the apps removed when they are in fact downloading them. Then he went on to say the app store is a retailer and they decide what is sold. Can you say contradiction!?
I totally agree with your point. If users don’t like something then they won’t download it. Some more thoughts here: http://bit.ly/bb0t3g
So as an iPhone developer who developed now-banned applications with sexual content, are you going to give up on those types of projects or will you be moving to HTML5 to provide a value-added richer experience?
REQUEST: Someone photoshop Steve Jobs with Taliban dress and all.
Please do not use His name in vain
igni… lol
Apple is a very, very evil corporation. What they are doing is WRONG and SCARY! Thank you Jason for pushing on this. Apple is worse than the Chinese government and I sincerely hope this behavior results in multiple class action lawsuits and forceful actions from proper government agencies.
As consumers we can show our disgust by abandoning this horrible brand.
Apple is worse than the Chinese government? Are you sure you don’t have a carbon monoxide problem in your house?
Comparing something to Communist China is some new internet meme similar Godwin’s Law.
If you wan’t PORN, buy a Ghetto smartphone with Flash… ;-D
Have you heard of people attacking PRC for internet censorship blame apple for censoring internet services and contents?
F* double standard
How is this different than Apple deciding that if you have an iPhone you don’t need access to Flash content. Apple has been making moves like this for some time and it is only becoming more pronounced. What’s the point of having ratings if you are going to ban the apps anyway? If there are parental controls and a ratings system, why does Apple not see the matter closed?
Apple more and more is becoming the ‘Company of No’, because these are not the only types of apps they’ve said no to. Apple computer is turning away more of the people that really added value to the platform. There was a time when Apple was routinely abandoned by big time developers, who ceased to develop on the Mac platform while their Windows products became their only products. Enter the independent developers to fill the gap and boy did they.
The iPhone platform and the Mac platform are different clearly, but when Apple is bragging about its apps, it is admitting the contribution of coders to its iPhone stable. Steve Jobs didn’t do what he did alone, he had the vision, yes but in the end the Developers came through for Apple and Apple needs to be mindful of its past and its success. Yes, this story is about a particular type of app but the truth is Apple has turned down other types of apps as well and this could hurt it over time, because Android is quickly becoming a capable competitor and if Apple is to retain is shine, it needs to keep its Developers. Apple is nothing without its Faithful and a great many of them are Developers.
Nothing new is right, but there are a lot of possiblilities here.
Flash may be a technical issue, choking the Apple hardware, or ATT? Also, Adobe demands licensing from OEMs, money Apple does not need to pay.
My initial read was the ban was to protect branding and image, it jives with the upscale vibe.
It is also good image for the remaining untapped market, alleviating folk’s fears a bit when the son or daughter inevitably asks for one.
They may have been receiving a lot of complaints. Also, this frees up personnel to speed the approval process elsewhere.
KWillets in his post on Jason’s other story on this made me think with his reference to the Chinese porn crackdown. Apple wants that market.
So this one has a lot more layers than simply making mass storage DNF and steering everyone to the store. But every issue I mention is another reason to do it.
Downside? I am stretching to find one. Is anyone actually going to not buy because of this? Half of the US, at least has consevative values in this area, folks more likely to be dodging tech and the net because of porn, etc. They will now be more inclined to think more highly of Apple, and Jobs.
App developers? You mean guys who bing up sexy pictures, and call it an app? The guy that was going to revolutionize the industry by combining Wobble and a fart App?
This low end of the gene pool is not Steve’s style.
As far as the castoffs, they should organize into a central site, adult oriented apps. iCrap. Then Apple will go after them for the “i” schtick, tons of free PR, torrents of wanker rants like this one would jam it to the top of Techmeme. Then, when it comes time to hire lawyers, just put up the already prepared site with the new name.
CRAPi.
“Anything innovative is risky…”
Yep! Develop at your own peril. That unfortunately has been my experience. The saving grace is that many OSes will be looking for developers and content soon.
At what point is a company not allowed to make their own decisions? If you want Flash on your phone, or these applications in question, don’t buy an Apple product? If you don’t like the draconian ways of Apple, don’t develop for Apple products. Let Apple “mess up” with their business decisions and let the market tell them if they are right or wrong. But, honestly, it’s only techies who give a crap what Apple allows or bans.
You will care when techies stop developing for the iphone and your iphone has the functionality of a calculator. I agree if you don’t like an apple product DONT BUY IT!, I don’t :p Apples are for noobs!
I am a techie, a developer at that. I own an iPhone and chose not to develop for iPhones. Even if I did I certainly wouldn’t build a business around sketchy (at best) applications. When a developer runs for the hills, there will be another behind waiting to take advantage of the whatever niche is now vacant. Apple will come out a winner on this regardless.
I totally agree…however much I dislike Apple. That’s why I own exactly NONE of their products.
It could be something very simple as this: when you have a merchant account (in order to be able to charge credit cards) and you sell adult stuff, you’re considered high risk, and your rates go up as it is more likely for people to dispute the charges.
I’ve spoken with Apple – Jason can you drop me an email, I’ll give you the new rules if you like. Very surprising.
Oh and here’s my take on it:
http://chillifresh.com/2010/02/19/censorship-is-wrong/
Complete with image – very SFW ;-)
Jon,
Do you mind to share with us, what version they gave you? I wrote back to them and talked to someone there shortly after. The basic answer was they just want to get rid of anything that even suggest “sexual”. here is what I wrote this am:
—-
Could you please provide me with examples of what you consider: “overtly sexual content”? My application contains pictures of women posing in bikini and nothing sexual. These are the same type of pictures than can be seen on the cover of Swimsuit Illustrated, Cosmo, Glamour, US weekly, etc… Which makes me believe that even in the USA, this is socially acceptable, since it is present everywhere? Should we ban swimsuits all together, should we ban women in general?
The policies of your store have been hypocritical in many ways. I complied several times to objections from your team, such as using the word “boobs” in my description; yet you allowed hundreds of apps with butts, sex, boobs, etc… in their title itself (“College boobs”, “Tight Body Perky boobs”, “Epic boobs”… are you kidding me???) You allowed tons of applications which clearly breach copyright rights, some with underage “models”. You allowed Playboy, you allowed porn stars, fetish apps.
Why are applications like “Swimsuit Illustrated 2010″ (which has its share of “provocative” poses”), “Victoria’s Secret All Access”, “Hooters” or “Bikini Blast” still in the store if they are offering same pictures as mine??? Is it because that their voice of discontent over hypocritical Puritanism could possibly be heard louder than mine?
I would appreciate if you could either provide me with the list of guidelines that “complies with our recent changes” (you certainly must have an uniform set that you use as reference to pull apps out) or provide me with examples of questionable content that you’re mentioning below. This would allow me to resubmit as stated below (Which I have the feeling that… unless I place blank pictures everywhere, you’ll never let my application back in).
My apologies for the confrontational tone of my correspondence to you, but I am perplexed about the process you’re using. I certainly understand that your store started to get flooded with more mature content and 99% of it being in bad taste, but I do not understand the selective process to allow some to abuse while punishing those that complied, neither do I understand why apps like Swimsuit Illustrated are in and allowed to thrive when they present same type of content.
Thank you for your time!
——
Here is our take. Also spoke with Apple. Some conflicting stories from them as they did not seem prepared. http://brandedresearch.com/blog/apple-of-my-eye-hardly/
FYI…our app ‘was’ iWakeup Girls (alarm clock)
Its called censorship it’s been going on for years.
Funny really when you take into consideration what it actually has taken for someone to notice.
Did you find this at all “scary” when Apple went after *books first*?
Apple Forfeits eBooks By Banning A Comic Book!
http://mikecane2008.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/apple-forfeits-ebooks-by-banning-a-comic-book/
Interesting – “shake to wobble!” appears to do the same thing, and is still available on the app store right now for $.99. Go figure.
apple is SO not bringin sexy back. :(
If you want porn on your iPhone, all you need do is download some porn videos, and play them on the iPhone. Apple doesn’t need to sell porn in it’s store, anymore than K-Mart and Target aren’t required to sell porn in their stores. I suppose the big issue is that there’s only ONE store for the iPhone.
I suppose, at some point, if the iPhone, iPad and iPod marketshare is sufficient, the App Store might be considered a restrictive monopoly. Apple could then simply license alternative stores, and allow someone else to start a “iPhone OS Adult store” that sells adult material to users. Apple could still vet the app, and ensure that it was safe from bugs and virii, etc, but then the “franchised” store would sell the material that Apple objects to. To get that store on your phone, you’d have to verify age and once verified, only then would the icon be installed on your iPhone/Pod/Pad.
Anybody want to start this business?
S
It’s actually a really interesting business proposition, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near a business that Apple effectively controls. These guys are bastards to their business partners and will pull the rug out from under you.
Also, if Apple vets my App Store App (talk about duplicating iPod function) to make sure it doesn’t have viruses, that’s great, but what about the Apps that I sell? They all need to be vetted as well. Who will do that?
I was thinking that Apple, for a fee, would vet the app, same as now. Maybe Apple could take, say, $100 per app, or 10% of sales, or some other method, simply to verify the app’s security and safety (not content).
Apple wants to sell hardware. They also want a “perfect” experience for their users. They don’t want to sell porn. So let them verify that the app won’t break the phone or infect the network or bomb and crash the iPad, and then put some sort of digital signature in the app for “approval and installation”, and hand the app back to the “adult store” for sale. The store would be responsible for content, lawsuits for use of copyrighted images, violating community standards, etc.
If Apple is still vetting the app, and getting $100 for it, they are essentially selling porn. Not directly, mind you, but it could be presented that way. Apple should probably get into this business anyway, porn or no. Tear down the walled garden, but sell “Verified Publisher” licenses to companies. I think Microsoft does this with Windows Genuine Drivers or something similar. Then as I user, I would know to only install Genuine Apple Certified Applications. However, the pricing of such licenses is difficult, because they would want to soak Tapulous for making the next $10M app, but couldn’t charge a new developer the same price for making a basic app.
Apparently the costs and hassle of running the app store are not that big of a deal when you are making money hand over fist on each transaction.
On a related note, I’ve never been able to figure out if Apple is a Hardware or a Software company. Every time I think I have it figured out, I get turned around. As much as I dislike their business practices and products, they do impress me that they’re one of the few companies that excels at Software and Hardware – I guess they’re just a Consumer Electronics Company.
I don’t care how much work was put into these “sexy” apps and I’m so glad I don’t have to view them when browsing the app store anymore!!
Ok… because you’re a eunuch?
No, because he uses the Eunuchs operating system. Too many of us Americans are emotional/maturity eunuchs from childhood until old age; there’s a concept for where this is heading, folks, and it’s summarized as “Second World.”
It’s not just sexy apps that are getting the boot, today one of our apps that was waiting review got rejected because it was deemed by apple that it was intended for a “limited audience”, i.e., not enough people on the iPhones might be interested in this application.
It’s become a crapp shoot to get apps accepted into the appstore.
It’s become a crap shoot to find good apps.
I won’t be surprised if the government (FCC) ends up turning this into a Net Neutrality issue, which is even scarier for me.
I think Apple’s App Store is lame, with it’s walled garden approach. But when the government starts mandating open access on platforms just because they are popular, that drastically reduces the incentives of companies like Apple to innovate.
How long until the FTC starts asking about the 30% cut Apple gets on every app?
I wonder which books will be banned from iBooks. Can I get my illustrated Kama Sutra like I can for the Kindle?
I just checked the app store – there are still at least 10-12 titles with “sex” in the title. In addition, there’s a look-a-like app called “shake to wobble!” that looks like it does the exact same thing – and suggested words like “t**s” when searching for images to use. This app is STILL available, right now, for $.99.
I just checked the internet. There are literally millions of sites with the title “sex” in them. This is great. Some of them are free, and you can view them even if they have flash. (iPhone burn – or is it?)
What’s your point? That you can always use the internet to get sexually oriented material? Duh.
My point is that there are 2 apps here that do the same thing and Apple picked one and banned it but not the other. So what’s their method?
They called Catcher in the Rye pornographic, burned Of Mice and Men and many many other classics. I thought Apple was supposed to ‘Think Different’ seems they just react to any wingnut and sexually retarded freak out there trolling the app store for fake outrage over boobs. A small minority dictating to the majority of the users, someone is not thinking at Apple clearly if they think things like this are good and right, it makes people angry, doesn’t matter your lame excuses its censorship and its wrong, classify the content make a red zone area of the app store but don’t arbitrarily ban apps because a few or few hundred people complain, I doubt its much higher, never usually is, look up the ALAs most frequently challenged books, a very small number of organized probably christian wingnuts will complain simply because they can. Great liturature or boobies, doesn’t matter, its still wrong however you try and spin it.
great post Mugly:) I agree with you 100%:) do something, change something but dont ban something like SEX! come on, its all about SEX today Steve Jobs!:)
Funny that nobody even dares to mention Google’s content policies, enforced worldwide, that flush all sites deemed objectionable into oblivion (filtered in Search, banned from Google ads). This can happen anytime, for reasons that the average god-abiding Californian geek/Google engineer will usually understand, but that will remain quite obscure for actual human beings.
You’re right, it’s really difficult to find pornography on the internet. Darn Google.
If a store owner chooses to control what’s on their shelves based upon customer feedback, that’s a business decision.
Or would you rather Apple shut down the app store? Or would you rather see it regulated by the government?
Censorship is a loaded term with little meaning today. It used to mean what government did when it suppressed our right to free speech. Now its used whenever private businesses act to control their products.
A business, like Apple, wont survive if it doesn’t please its customers. If I don’t like what there doing, I can take my business elsewhere. The same goes for those developers turned down by Apple. They’re free to sell their apps on another website.
I agree. The store owner chooses. However, Apple’s message is not consistent. They tend to make other excuses to why they are changing policies. They are also not buying products and are in a pseudo partnership with their developers. Shouldn’t the developers receive the courtesy of a 30 day notice of cancellation?
I’m fine with Apple controlling their store, provided that they allow alternative stores on the device.
Exactly; they’re pulling a Singapore here. They’re saying “we’re better than anybody else” because they’ve got this App Store with hundreds of thousands of titles, and hundreds of useful apps. Then they turn around and say “we’re the only game in town; we’re not going to let you sell your apps to customers any way except through us — and oh, yeah, we can be completely arbitrary and capricious before, during and after the fact.”
Let me be clear: up until VERY recently, I’ve been an unalloyed Apple fan; the only sensible response to 25+ years of Windows development and user support and 10 years hitting similar but different walls in Linux. I’m typing this on one of the two Macs sitting on my desk. I’ve got logs and statistics that prove I’m far more productive on my worst Mac days than I ever was on my best Windows days. And I’ve had several Switcher clients over the past few years who say the same thing.
I can write and sell any app I want on the Mac; Apple even give me all the (quite good) tools I need right in the box. I can use any app I want to on my Mac; the average quality level is so far above Windows and Linux apps it’s not even funny. In neither of those do I need the permission of Apple or anyone else outside the parties to the transaction involved. Apple DO have good support for publicising Mac apps; browse http://www.apple.com/downloads/ to see a (far earlier) way they’ve done it right. But developers don’t have to use their advertising platform.
With the iPhone, and soon the iPad, they’re doing things in a very untraditionally-Apple way: they’re going far out of their way to alienate and HARM developers. You know, those people who create the things that make people want to use the iPhone IN THE FIRST PLACE. And a lot of us are either leaving the platform or never getting into iPhone development in the first place.
And THAT can’t be healthy for the long-term success of the Apple mobile platform (iPhone/iPad/iWhatComesNext). As a user, as a developer, as a shareholder, that disturbs me, as I believe it should disturb anyone who cares about this industry.
This morning I had a third app removed from sale and yet still Playboy’s and Sports Illustrated app’s, both of which contain nudity and Apple’s own warning of “intense” sexual content and nudity, are still available in the App Store. I have had to deal with Apple’s gross inconsistencies and questionably selective policy enforcement in the past, and I initially tried to keep an open mind on this latest policy shift. But it has devolved into witch hunt under the guise of listening to customer complaints, which they give no details on.
The NC-17 rating for apps still exists, only Apple is choosing which it will distribute. This is no different than if they started selectively pulling some R-rated movies but not others and saying nebulously that customers had complained about “that kind of content”. Of course, they’d be inundated with lawsuits and antitrust investigations if they did that, but probably feel safe in their actions in the App Store because they are not generally dealing with large companies, but very large numbers of small companies and even individuals who by themselves do not have the financial, legal or political power to stand up to Apple. So against us, they can get away with just ripping our apps out and sending us all a brief form letter to explain it.
A number of people, including Apple themselves, say that they are no different than a retail store and are free to choose what goes on their shelves. This is an oversimplification though of their role. They own the platform and the only marketplace and means of distribution to that platform. This makes them a vertical monopoly. And when they selectively apply their policies to exclude some apps in favor of others, whether it’s removing Wobble and keeping Playboy, or remove Google Talk apps but keeping the Vonage app, they are clearly abusing their position to manipulate the market.
Companies have been broken up and regulated for far less. To protect fair competition and consumer choice the FTC could break up Apple and separate the iTunes marketplace from Apple, including the board level management of both. While this may seem drastic Apple’s position in digital media distribution has become so dominant that they cannot be allowed to become the sole arbiter of access to that channel.
It’s not as simple as “It’s Apple’s platform and Apple’s store so they can do what they want.”. We have anti-trust laws to prevent monopolies for exactly these reasons, they abuse their power, create unfair marketplaces where companies cannot compete fairly and ultimately eliminate consumer choice.
At the very least if at the completion of this purge apps such as Playboy and SI Swimsuit are still standing I would absolutely join in a class action lawsuit against Apple on the grounds that they are violating federal antitrust laws. Individually we can’t stand up to Apple, hell, as an individual I can’t even get them to answer an email even though their 30% of my daily app revenue is about $500/day, but as a group we can stand up to them.
TC, we could use your help. I think it’s time to ask whether iTunes should be broken off from Apple and/or regulated to level the playing field for all developers and we need a larger voice.
Thanks
Everyone affected by this and everyone who cares about maintaining fair competition and a level playing field for all developers should write to the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Competition which handles reports of antitrust violations and anti-competitive practices.
Instead of form letter write about your experience, your apps that were pulled, and which competitor’s apps remain. As apps by small shops are being wiped out the major brand apps with exactly the same kind of content, or in our case even more revealing content, such as Playboy, are climbing.
* Email:
antitrust@ftc.gov
* Phone: (202) 326-3300
* Mail:
Office of Policy and Coordination
Room 383
Bureau of Competition
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
* Email: antitrust@ftc.gov
What about Apple’s fancy new *eReader*, the iPad. What books will they ban? If they have the audacity to consider this a replacement for print and then choose to censor what can be published, they should seriously rethink their archaic policies. If they don’t ban books, why applications?
Apple simply needs to fix the App Store and related devices so it is structured in such a way that the individual can control the visibility of applications deemed appropriate via categories or attributes. If a particular individual does not want to see applications categorized as “Sexually Explicit”, simply check the “Filter sexually explicit applications”. C’mon Apple, is it really that hard??
Oh, please.