Apple Will Not Distribute 'Porn' and Other Inappropriate Content

[Doctor Q]

Keep these points in mind:

1. Apple is a business. While they may consider social causes, e.g., (PRODUCT)RED support, and what's good for the world, e.g., using less toxic materials, their primary goal is to sell products and make money. Their choices about what apps to sell are business decisions. NOT selling an app costs them sales income, so they have to believe it suits the bottom line to limit the types of apps they sell.

2. Apple has to pay attention to PR. When an application developer is making them look bad in the news, they have an incentive to hold that developer strictly to the developer agreement while they are both under a microscope. Apple certainly can't be happy if a developer changed the nature of an app's contents after it is approved (if that's what happened), especially when it produces bad publicity.

3. It makes business sense for a major company to follow the sensibilities of its customers. Apple sells in the U.S. and internationally as well, so their customers' opinions about what's acceptable and what's not vary all over the map, but among their primary customers violence and juvenile humor are simply more socially acceptable than other "vices." The apps they've chosen to allow reflect that.

 

[bladerunner88]

This kind of stuff always cracks me up. Showing women in bikinis posing provocatively and artistic nudity always seems to terrify Americans, while showing killing and mayhem and doctors picking through human remains while cracking jokes on the autopsy table seems the norm (just turn the tv on any channel in prime time). Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy violence and mayhem probably a little more than most folks (USMC Force Recon 8 years), but enough already.

Force Recon Roger your Last!

 

[Timo_Existencia]

No, the opposite in fact. This was not porn. R-rated at best. I don't know why they got rid of it.

Sorry...misunderstood your point since you quoted two posts that were making that point.

 

[GoodWatch]

Kneel infidels, kneel at Apple's altar and repent

 

[hirshnoc]

I think it's funny the positives and negatives are about the same here. Do people REALLY want porn on their phones?

 

[sellitom]

To quote Jerry Seinfeld: "Well, that's a shame."

 

[ChrisBrightwell]

err on the side of caution and on the side of children. Not too difficult.

This is the responsibility of the parents, not Apple.

 

[ravenvii]

2. Mobile Safari is great for porn searches!

Not without Flash, it isn't!

 

[ChrisBrightwell]

This issue is a win/no-loss situation. On the one hand, you keep nudity off a device that children and young adults use. The potential for emotional harm is there. That's a win.

This is fairly short-sighted, in that it completely ignores mainstream media outlets or devices, such as television and home computers.

 

[tamarco]

Well I guess its based on your definition of "porn" and "nudity"

 

[DELLsFan]

...The removal by Apple is is interesting, however, as Apple's rating system does seem to allow for "nudity" specifically...

Well ... while we're talking about specifics ... how much money does Apple make from China annually? Now - just recall China's definition of porn ... and a logical person would definitely find the removal by Apple "interesting".

inappropriate is so subjective

Let's just say Apple defines it's morality and ideas of being "proper" by how many countries do business with them. I suppose we should be thankful showing a bare male chest in an app isn't porn ... yet ... Some countries explicitly prohibit the view of a nude torso.

that's so progressive of you, apple.

1. this comment is in line with extremist muslims who claim women must cover themselves in order not to get raped. be aware that most of us have what's known as "self control"...

Careful now ... you might actually debunk a few more stereotypes if you keep this up. We wouldn't dare try to do that in this section of the forum.

Thank God, my little sisters like to search the app store and download apps. They don't need to be seeing that garbage.

If you fear the utter corruption and violation of your sisters through iTunes store app surfing, then I would say they are too young to own an iPhone or iPod touch.

Agreed. America is very backwards in it's decency. Protect the kids from sex, porn and the such, but showing a corpse getting autopsied is ok. Imagine if the american Maxim magazine was as fun as the UK version, the censors here would flip.

Backwards is one way to look at it. I call it hypocrisy. Autopsies are one thing. Have you seen any prime time love-making scenes or violence lately? How about any of the reality shows on cable? And, by the way ... if you can't remember when MTV actually played music videos, you're probably too young to be affected by the content in the iTunes store - and wouldn't qualify for the luxury of owning an Apple product in my house.

 

[AlmostThere]

You own and control your car. If you started a business where you promised to drive around with a paid message on your car, you'd be allowed to refuse service if you didn't like a message someone wanted to pay you to put on your car.

It is your car, you should be free to put the message of your choice on it and free to run your business as you see fit.

However, in this case, we have the car manufacturer telling you what message you can or cannot put on your car, denying you that fundamental freedom.

 

[ChrisBrightwell]

I think it's funny the positives and negatives are about the same here. Do people REALLY want porn on their phones?

That's not really the point here, but I suspect that you already knew that.

 

[MacFly123]

YAY APPLE!!!

I am so happy that the company I love has a bit of moral fiber!

 

[corinhorn]

Agreed. America is very backwards in it's decency. Protect the kids from sex, porn and the such, but showing a corpse getting autopsied is ok.

I don't think it is the American people, but the American media that is backwards. American media does not represent my values. I'm an American and I don't let my children watch shows or listen to music riddled with sexuality or riddled with violence.

 

[twoodcc]

this is a subjective subject, but i do hope apple makes a stand against this

 

[Timo_Existencia]

YAY APPLE!!!

I am so happy that the company I love has a bit of moral fiber!

They do? I can buy or rent the movie 9 1/2 Weeks from the App Store which contains content that is arguably more graphic than what this app contained. So, what's your standard for "moral fiber?"

 

[Virgil-TB2]

It is nice to see a corporation take the high road. The folks who want porn can find plenty of places to go besides the App Store. When WalMart refused to carry CD's with lewd lyrics, they were also castigated for "censorship". Our culture already has way too much pollution as it is & to preserve some places for just clean stuff is laudable.

This app is hardly "porn" though.

At the risk of begging the question, there is a big difference between "nudity" and "porn" for most people around the world, although people in some of the Muslim countries again, and many strictly religious types wouldn't agree I know.

Simple nudity never twisted anyone's mind or sexuality around. There is no evidence of any harm being caused to anyone by nudity, whereas with some of the more hardcore porn stuff there actually is. Intelligent people can disagree of course, but *some* scientists and *some* psychologists have come up with *some* evidence that exposing kids to pee-pee fetish rubber goat sex movies at an early age (or whatever), can skew their sexuality and leave them in a pretty strange place. It can also shock and disturb people quite easily.

Nudity is to Porn as Pot is to Cocaine. There never has been any evidence that nudity is "bad" for anyone.

All this app contains is some bad photographs of pretty girls with the occasional boob showing. It has an adult rating, and the application has built in parental controls, the platform has built in parental controls, etc.

It's totally hypocritical and fascist to deny adults (I would even argue children, but that's another battle), the right to look at what they want to look at. The only argument against it is that others who don't want to look at it might be offended, but given the parental controls, it's a fallacious argument.

Logic and the facts are simply not on the side of anyone who wants to ban this kind of stuff. What's next, Political filters?

 

[kas23]

I think it's funny the positives and negatives are about the same here. Do people REALLY want porn on their phones?

I at least want the choice. Well...fine...I want porn on my iPhone.

Still, I don't think this App qualifies as porn, nor do I see how someone could be offended by it.

 

[corinhorn]

I at least want the choice. Well...fine...I want porn on my iPhone.

Apple is blocking porn sites on the ipHone now? As long as it has Safari, you will have quick access to porn—nipple porn or otherwise.

 

[MidiMonk]

Apple with their secretive ways, "our way or the highway mentality" is ever increasingly turning into a one stop gestapo.The APP store is such a mish mash of standards, Apple really should have set solid guidelines before going live.The hypocrisy is typical though

 

[Virgil-TB2]

Gee, if you are that addicted to porn, just carry a few special pics around in your wallet to tide you over till you get home

Woof, Woof - Dawg

ironically even though I seem to be one of the few arguing for freedom on this thread today, I am not American, and I don't like, read, or view, porn. I never have.

I find it mostly to be dreary, soul-destroying junk that we would be better off without. That being said, it doesn't kill anyone, and most of it doesn't even push any bad messages. There is no logical reason to ban it other than "it's icky" (for some like me).

IMO the people that find porn awful and disgusting should try to separate that feeling, from the facts.

The facts are that porn is only "bad" to the degree that it sends messages to children and in effect "teaches" them bad things. The worst porn is that that sends messages that it's okay to torture and degrade people for instance. Or on a lesser level that which objectifies women. In general, a video or a picture of someone who just happens to be naked only sends the message that it's okay to be naked or to look at naked people.

For a religious-right person that's a "bad" message, bur for most of the world, it's just not. It's harmless. Far more harmless than some of the advertisements you see on TV every day because the messages and suggestions contained in those can be far worse, even though you don't see a (shock!) boobie.

It's message, context, and meaning that should be the issue. Counting bums and boobs and removing them from sight doesn't change the message at all.

 

[kas23]

It is nice to see a corporation take the high road. The folks who want porn can find plenty of places to go besides the App Store. When WalMart refused to carry CD's with lewd lyrics, they were also castigated for "censorship". Our culture already has way too much pollution as it is & to preserve some places for just clean stuff is laudable.

Bad example. Walmart is the number one seller of guns in the US. What has the potential to be more dangerous to our society; guns or lewd lyrics?

This is in no way an anti-gun post. I am actually pro-gun. However, I needed to put things into perspective. As for Apple, they're just as hypocritical as Walmart. They will sell you albums with lewd lyrics (the same ones Walmart refuses to sell), but will not sell you an App that shows woman's breasts. Go figure.

 

[Nym]

It's message, context, and meaning that should be the issue. Counting bums and boobs and removing them from sight doesn't change the message at all.

Yes. I agree. My way towards these issues are that, while it not be my choice to look/do/feel/experience certain things in life, it does not mean I think that my ideas should be applied to everyone and much less that they are a "superior" way of looking at things. Idealistically, if it doesn't hurt anyone else, I think everyone should have the right to do whatever they want.

What's wrong with that? They want to protect their own business. I think everyone would.

Nothing. In fact, I never said it was anything wrong. I just said that my opinion was that this had less to do with being "prude" and more about being "corporate".

I then have to question, why block the applications yet not block the movies and tv shows that also show nudity?

I seriously have no idea. It's a double standard, like sex is worse than violence.

I'm an extreme music fan myself and you bet your ass I would be pissed off if Apple decided to remove Cannibal Corpse from the iTMS because of their lyrical content .

(Which some users here would still cheer I'm sure, example: "HAVE YOU SEEN THEIR SONG TITLES?? Apple has the right to regulate what they allow on their music store!")

 

[kas23]

Apple is blocking porn sites on the ipHone now? As long as it has Safari, you will have quick access to porn—nipple porn or otherwise.

Yes, they are. Where's my flash support?