Third-Party Reddit Apps Pulled From App Store for NSFW Content [Updated]

[MacRumors]

Popular third-party Reddit apps like Narwhal, iAlien, Baconreader, Eggplant and Antenna have been pulled from the App Store for breaching clause 18.2 of the App Review Guidelines, Narwhal developer Rick Harrison told Gizmodo. The takedowns were first spotted on a Reddit thread.

Today, we received notice that our new update with a lot of great new features was rejected under the App Store rule 18.2: "Your app contains a mechanism to enable or disable Not Safe For Work (NSFW) content, including pornographic content. Apps with sexually explicit content are not appropriate for the App Store." About 15 minutes afterwards, we received notice that the current version of our app has been removed from the app store.

While the third-party apps were pulled from the App Store, Reddit's new official app has remained. When Reddit launched its new app, it said users were "free to continue enjoying" the third-party app of their choice and pledged to continue support for its public API.

Harrison told MacStories that he reached out to Reddit about the takedowns and was told that the company did not request that third-party apps be pulled. In fact, Reddit told Harrison that the company was also having issues with Apple over clause 18.2.

Specifically, clause 18.2 states that apps containing user-generated content that is "frequently pornographic" would be rejected. Many of the pulled third-party apps have been in the App Store for about a year, and some of them include NSFW filters that allow users to disable potentially pornographic content.

In the past, Apple has also pulled apps for featuring user-generated content that could be viewed as pornographic. In 2013, Apple pulled 500px's photo sharing app due to concerns that users could search for nude photographs. The app was eventually returned to the App Store once it added an age-gate.

Update 6:24 AM: As noted by iMore, a number of the removed apps are returning to the App Store after their developers removed NSFW toggles from the apps. Rather than an app-based toggle, apps are now required to rely on the user's Reddit preferences for filtering out NSFW content.

Article Link: Third-Party Reddit Apps Pulled From App Store for NSFW Content [Updated]

 

[tmanto02]

Better pull Google Chrome and every other web browser then!

 

[DipDog3]

Watch out, Safari is next!!!

 

[amiantos]

Doesn't seem like a surprise to me that Reddit would get pulled. Around 10% of the 'all subreddits' list is pornographic. It's strange that the apps have never set off the censors before, to be honest.

 

[east85]

How is this different from turning off filtering on the Tumblr app? The Reddit app isn't even ready, it's so bare bones.

Edit:

via r/apple

 

[BryanElliott]

Glad I got is while it was active.

 

[Macman08]

MRW Apple pulled 3rd part Reddit apps:

 

[AdonisSMU]

Apple is so sterile. They let all the gay bondage and hookup apps on the store. Granted they are age restrictions for those apps. I think the third party apps need to add the age restrictions.

 

[randybsc]

I was thinking the same thing about Tumblr, and what about some of those dating apps. There must be some user generated adult content on it.

 

[\-V-/]

Considering the crap on Reddit, this isn't a surprise.

 

[UKFan643]

Read something that said all the removed apps enable NSFW content by default while the official Reddit app disables it by default. Might be as simple as switching the default option for NSFW content.

 

[Cougarcat]

I'm on the narwhal beta...they've already released a 2.2 beta update that removes the NSFW settings "as per Apple's request."

 

[macsrcool1234]

More examples of piss poor and inconsistent review policies from Apple.

Somebody wakes up on the wrong side of the bed one day and decide to arbitrarily remove apps that have been on the store for years and leave others intact...

 

[Statusnone88]

I actually like the new Reddit app. If they pull all the Reddit apps, I might have a slight aneurism.

I know there's a lot of garbage on Reddit, but it's so easy to stay in touch with other people about things I love through Reddit. My world of mustangs, video games, and metalcore music would be vastly smaller without being able to talk with other enthusiasts and reading current events related to the topic so easily through Reddit.

 

[Richardgm]

Apple is reaching; I dare say, reaching too far.

Yes, they should remove Safari, and Chrome next. What about Tumblr?

 

[justinhu8]

Tumblr app has the exact same thing. Why hasn't Apple removed Tumblr?
official Reddit app has the exact same thing. Why hasn't Apple removed that?
Facebook, Twitter. These all give the means to see pornographic content

Apple gives you Private Browsing in Safari, I wonder what people do with that.

 

[GlowingApple]

I'm on the narwhal beta...they've already released a 2.2 beta update that removes the NSFW settings "as per Apple's request."

I'm on the beta too. I have NSFW posts disabled in Reddit's preferences. Ironically with Narwhal removing the options in the app now all the NSFW posts are visible. Thanks to Apple there's no option to hide them in the app; pretty much the opposite of the reasoning behind Apple's clause 18.2.

 

[garirry]

Proves how stupid Apple's rating system is. While Binding of Isaac, a game with extremely gross content is allowed on Nintendo platforms, Apple, which is marketed towards an older audience, does not allow it.

 

[justinhu8]

Doesn't seem like a surprise to me that Reddit would get pulled. Around 10% of the 'all subreddits' list is pornographic. It's strange that the apps have never set off the censors before, to be honest.

All NSFW sub-redddits are disabled from being seen by default, you have to type the subreddit name to see that subreddit's content. Tumblr has exactly the same system.
[doublepost=1460434410][/doublepost]

Considering the crap on Reddit, this isn't a surprise.

Stay out of the bad sub-reddits, and reddit is a wonderful place to see other opinions and to see discussions. It's like going into a big city. Stay out of the shady zones if you don't like them.

 

[\-V-/]

Stay out of the bad sub-reddits, and reddit is a wonderful place to see other opinions and to see discussions. It's like going into a big city. Stay out of the shady zones if you don't like them.

Oh I know, I like Reddit. It just has some very dark alleyways here and there.

 

[ndolebay]

What a coincidence, official app just on yesterday?

 

[Naaaaak]

This is the kind of stupid **** we were hoping would end with the crAppStore under Schiller's control, but it's clear he was involved with these guidelines in the first place.

Hey Apple: Any network connection can download teh boobs. Might as well age-gate all the first call to anything in CFNetworking.

 

[nia820]

Their reason for removing them is a load of crap. They are just removing them because the official reddit app came out.

on iAlien you have always been able to view NSFW content as long as you switched it on. Nothing new.

They mines well block reddit from being viewed in safari if they are worried about NSFW content.

 

[aberrero]

Oh I know, I like Reddit. It just has some very dark alleyways here and there.

The dark parts of reddit are not NSFW. Have you been to The_Donald

 

[\-V-/]

The dark parts of reddit are not NSFW. Have you been to The_Donald

Yes ... yes they are.