iPhone Erotica: Looks like Apple's okay with it, as long as it's tiny.

Looking for nudity in the App Store? Well, it exists. Contrary to what hundreds of application denials might have implied, it seems that Apple’s perfectly okay with showin’ the goods within an application – so long as said goods are shown in itty-bitty (though zoomable) thumbnails.

Before we dive too deep, we should make it clear: We’re very much in the “This shouldn’t be an issue” boat. We don’t mind at all that a collection of pixelated chests have found their way into the app store. To be completely honest, we think there’s a damned absurd amount of money to be made if Apple embraced a “Well, as long as it’s legal!” mindset and opened up an age-restricted section for those who’s interests swung that way.

That said, we’re also very much in the “Apple needs to figure out their damn rules” boat. Apple has previously dropped the banhammer on apps for offenses as minor as showing someone with a hole in the crotch of their jeans (Warning: that link is very much NSFW), and now they’re letting bare boobs right on through.

The boobie-bootleggin’ app in question here is “Boundless – Emotional Photography” (iTunes Link), a 99c photo gallery app. Essentially a “Bikini Babe” app sans the bikinis, Boundless contains around 50 artistic photographs of the female form by photographer John Covington. More accurately, it contains 50 thumbnails of said photographs, with each thumbnail layered above a tightly cropped, higher quality copy of the photo. While the higher-quality lower layer always keeps the naughty-bits just off screen, the goods are on full display for anyone who zooms into the thumbnail. The breasts may be pixelated, but they’re breasts none the less.

It’s also worth noting that some of the thumbnails have been manually blurred – whether this was done pre-emptively or at Apple’s request, we’re not sure. Either way, it shows that someone recognized that these pictures tip-toe a line that has never been defined.

It’s time to define that line, Apple.

[Thanks Greg!]