Apple Now Blocking 'Overtly Sexual' Apps from App Store

[MacRumors]

iPhone developer ChilliFresh posted (via TechCrunch) that they received an email from Apple tonight indicating that their iPhone app Wobble iBoobs had been pulled from the App Store. The email indicated that Apple was now removing overtly sexual content due to customer complaints:

The App Store continues to evolve, and as such, we are constantly refining our guidelines. Your application, Wobble iBoobs (Premium Uncensored), contains content that we had originally believed to be suitable for distribution. However, we have recently received numerous complaints from our customers about this type of content, and have changed our guidelines appropriately.

We have decided to remove any overtly sexual content from the App Store, which includes your application.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter. If you believe you can make the necessary changes so that Wobble iBoobs (Premium Uncensored) complies with our recent changes, we encourage you to do so and resubmit for review.

Sincerely,
iPhone App Review

A search of other similarly adult themed apps on AppShopper shows that many (but not all) have already been removed from the App Store.

ChilliFresh's app had been well known and generated over $260,000 in its App Store lifetime. The developer points out that his app actually ships with no images and simply uses user supplied images. Meanwhile, at least one other developer seems to have accidentally gotten caught in the crossfire with his Invisible Girl book being removed despite the developer's insistence that the ebook contains no sexual references. Of note, Playboy's official app remains on the App Store at this time.

Article Link: Apple Now Blocking 'Overtly Sexual' Apps from App Store

[jo0]

another great example making all the sense in the world...

[parafish13]

Good riddance.

I'm as raging a liberal as anyone and love freedom of speech, but seeing iBoobs or HoxSexSuperHotGirls in the top apps makes me really lose faith in humanity and I'd rather see more worthwhile apps (or at least more...content-heavy apps) be celebrated instead.

[*LTD*]

Good. You have to draw the line somewhere. If you want mobile porn there's Safari browser.

[maknik]

Originally Posted by parafish13

Good riddance.

I'm as raging a liberal as anyone and love freedom of speech, but seeing iBoobs or HoxSexSuperHotGirls in the top apps makes me really lose faith in humanity and I'd rather see more worthwhile apps (or at least more...content-heavy apps) be celebrated instead.

I do not think you understand the meaning of the word "liberal."

[thejadedmonkey]

Originally Posted by parafish13

Good riddance.

I'm as raging a liberal as anyone and love freedom of speech, but seeing iBoobs or HoxSexSuperHotGirls in the top apps makes me really lose faith in humanity and I'd rather see more worthwhile apps (or at least more...content-heavy apps) be celebrated instead.

So then don't feature them, but that doesn't mean you need to pull them.

[zombitronic]

Originally Posted by *LTD*

Good. You have to draw the line somewhere. If you want mobile porn there's Safari browser.

Exactly. While this particular app provided more function than a sultry slide show, it could easily be rebranded as iWobble. Same functions, just take away the implications that it should be used on breasts.

I'm sure we'll have some of the usuals on here complaining that Apple is too draconian and big brother-like and "they don't need to decide what's best for me" and "this is all Obama's fault" and the rest of the typical entitlement nonsense, but seriously, this gets rid of a good amount of waste on the App Store.

[FrankieTDouglas]

Yet Call of Duty remains.

Not that I'm anti-violence. I'm in support of all the things that create R/M ratings, not just the visuals that go boom.

[lilo777]

Originally Posted by *LTD*

Good. You have to draw the line somewhere. If you want mobile porn there's Safari browser.

I hope it's just a beginning. There are about 130K useless apps in the App store. Someone has to do something about it.

[AppEzzy]

I am glad, lately there have been tons of boobie apps every day that just clutter the app store. asian girls, latina girls, ...... it seems some companies were releasing 20 similar apps every day that were just different half naked girls. Glad this won't be cluttering up the app store anymore!

[toastr]

That's one less trashy app on the app store, and more to follow. I was getting fed up of all these "sexy" apps filling up the top 25 lists.

Now if Apple would remove all the "lite" apps and add a lite/trial feature for paid apps, that would make the app store a nicer experience

[marksman]

Good thing I just finished or I might be upset about this.

[lilo777]

Originally Posted by AppEzzy

I am glad, lately there have been tons of boobie apps every day that just clutter the app store. asian girls, latina girls, ...... it seems some companies were releasing 20 similar apps every day that were just different half naked girls. Glad this won't be cluttering up the app store anymore!

So, farts are OK but boobs are not? Is not it a slippery slope? Luckily we have Steve Jobs to resolve all these issues.

[pete.d]

This is just stupid. No one is forcing anyone to buy these apps. If you don't like them, don't buy them.

If there is a problem sifting through all the adult-oriented apps when you're not interested in them, the proper response is to FIX THE FRIGGIN' STORE. Rejecting apps from the store just because Apple is too lazy to bother putting in a toggle for "show me adult apps" is ridiculous.

It's certainly consistent with Apple's other ridiculous app-rejection policies. The whole idea that Apple would reject an app for anything other than it being malicious is ridiculous. But it's still ridiculous. Being consistently ridiculous doesn't make it right.

[speck2001]

Apple would never sell sexually explicit software at their brick and mortar retail stores, (I agree that if they agree to sell violent games then that is an unfortunate irony) so I totally understand why they won't allow it on iTunes. However, on a regular desktop/laptop computer, users can always find "other" types of software from sources other than an Apple retail store. This isn't true of the iPod/iPhone/iPad. Apple's closed i-ecosystem may have the best intentions, but it is inherently going to be censored. It is unfortunate- if you could obtain apps from other sources than iTunes/App store, then there would be no problem. Maybe someday. It certainly makes the case stronger for jailbreaking though.

[splashman]

I'm glad to hear that Apple is willing to draw lines, and re-draw them as well. People who want sleaze can use Safari, or get an Android or Palm or "Windows Phone 7 (take breath) Series."

[MrSmith]

In the same vein, shouldn't they get rid of all these games that involve shooting people? Or are these decisions based on complaints from the US only...where violence is a way of life but suggestive/naked body parts are evil?

[zim]

Better option....

By default make all iPod Touch and iPhone devices set to only display non Mature/Adult apps. Allow the user to enable the options, similar to Google's search. I like that there are parental settings for blocking the purchase of inappropriate apps but always thought it was odd that you could still see them (I do realize that it removes the preview images).

This options allows everyone to be at peace.

[-=XX=-Nephilim]

After blocking this, and then that, Apple will soon try to block our brains and try to turn us into dribbling religiously possessed droids who cant see, feel, experience, enjoy anything that it isn't blessed by Steve...

Enough of bullcrap already! >_<

[maknik]

First they came for my jiggly boobs, and I did not speak out, because jiggly boobs are juvenile.

Then they came for the icons, because they resembled Apple's; the healthcare app, because it was political; P2P apps or front ends, because they might be used for piracy; lame apps, because of limited utility; diagnostic apps, just because; podcasting and music apps and google voice, because that's Apple's turf; the whole jailbroken world, because personalization=brings down the cell network; and a million other apps (besides web browsers) because they let you access the 90% of the internet that is porn.
And I did not speak out because hey, it's Apple's device, they can do what they want with it.

And then they threw the killswitch on "my" device -- but by then, it was too late to post a bitchy tweet about it.

[*LTD*]

Originally Posted by -=XX=-Nephilim

After blocking this, and then that, Apple will soon try to block our brains and try to turn us into dribbling religiously possessed droids who cant see, feel, experience, enjoy anything that it isn't blessed by Steve...

Enough of bullcrap already! >_<

What?

[Snowy_River]

Originally Posted by lilo777

I hope it's just a beginning. There are about 130K useless apps in the App store. Someone has to do something about it.

In whose opinion are they useless apps? Yours? What if one of those apps is something that I find quite useful or entertaining? Then what? Who are you to decide for everyone what is useful?

Now, if you want to argue for a better organization mechanism for the app store so that you can avoid seeing most of these "useless" apps, while I can choose to see them, that's different...

Originally Posted by toastr

Now if Apple would remove all the "lite" apps and add a lite/trial feature for paid apps, that would make the app store a nicer experience

Uh... they've already done that. But it's up to the developers to implement it.

Originally Posted by pete.d

This is just stupid. No one is forcing anyone to buy these apps. If you don't like them, don't buy them.

If there is a problem sifting through all the adult-oriented apps when you're not interested in them, the proper response is to FIX THE FRIGGIN' STORE. Rejecting apps from the store just because Apple is too lazy to bother putting in a toggle for "show me adult apps" is ridiculous.

It's certainly consistent with Apple's other ridiculous app-rejection policies. The whole idea that Apple would reject an app for anything other than it being malicious is ridiculous. But it's still ridiculous. Being consistently ridiculous doesn't make it right.

Well put. Thanks.

[advocate]

Originally Posted by parafish13

Good riddance.

I'm as raging a liberal as anyone and love freedom of speech, but seeing BrightFlashlight or SuperBrightCoolFlashlight in the top apps makes me really lose faith in humanity and I'd rather see more worthwhile apps (or at least more...content-heavy apps) be celebrated instead.

Originally Posted by AppEzzy

I am glad, lately there have been tons of useless apps every day that just clutter the app store. flashlights, rulers, ...... it seems some companies were releasing 20 similar apps every day that were just different junk utilities. Glad this won't be cluttering up the app store anymore!

Fixed those for you.

Originally Posted by lilo777

I hope it's just a beginning. There are about 130K useless apps in the App store. Someone has to do something about it.

You're right, it's damn near impossible to navigate the App Store with all the junk in it. Apple should apply some of their usability knowledge and fix it so that it's easy to find what you're looking for and not see what you don't want to see.

[MrSmith]

Originally Posted by *LTD*

What?

It's not confusing. Why can't Apple allow us to do what we want with their products as long as it's inside the law?

[elephant man]

This is censorship. I mean where do you draw the line? If the Metropolitan Museum put out an app which contains Edward Weston nude photographs or Nan Goldin's photos, would they be considered inappropriate to sell? When exactly does a nude body move from art to pornography and how can Apple make that decision? Why can't they simply create a section for adult content for 18+ customers?