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

[JTravers]

Did everyone miss my earlier post about Narwhal being back and the reason? Seems this was more about apps not respecting a user's NSFW settings on reddit.com.

But by all means, keep the Apple censorship narrative going, lol

 

[lostngone]

Yet Tumblr, Snapchat, and Google Hangouts are still there... strange.

Don't forget about Apple's e-mail client.

 

[576316]

Like, I totally get that you don't want an App Store crammed full of porn apps and '20 SEXY LADIES PER DAY' apps (probably like Google Play) but it's a bit much to ban apps that just allow access to pornographic content. Some people watch porn, Apple. C'mon now.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

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.

The difference is that console video games have age restrictions, which are reviewed by organisations such as PEGI.

 

[roadbloc]

You may like what Apple does or not (I do neither), but this has nothing to to with censorship (at least not in the strict sense of the word).

Well what the hell has it got to do with then if it isn't censorship? Inconsistent censorship to further the point.

 

[pika2000]

Err, why is this a big deal? I can just access Reddit from Safari. I don't even understand why one would need an app.

This is not a new policy. Steve Jobs have said it in the past, that if you want an open ecosystem, there's HTML5.
There are so many ways to access NSFW content that whining about this is supremely silly.

 

[AdonisSMU]

So is reddit doing damage control?
[doublepost=1460454694][/doublepost]

Err, why is this a big deal? I can just access Reddit from Safari. I don't even understand why one would need an app.

This is not a new policy. Steve Jobs have said it in the past, that if you want an open ecosystem, there's HTML5.
There are so many ways to access NSFW content that whining about this is supremely silly.

Steve is dead. Let him rest. If it weren't for the porn industry going online HTML flash and all the other things that led to the iPhone might not have happened...

 

[pika2000]

So is reddit doing damage control?
[doublepost=1460454694][/doublepost]
Steve is dead. Let him rest. If it weren't for the porn industry going online HTML flash and all the other things that led to the iPhone might not have happened...

Not the point. Fact is, this app store policy is not new, and Jobs already explained it. Aka, this is not news, at all.
And I can still watch porn on my iDevices, no problem. So again, what's the point?

 

[bushido]

so apple doesnt allow a toggle to enable and disable nsfw content but if you enable it once through the browser it is fine and allowed in the appstore? so seeing "safe" content first isnt allowed but seeing titties right away without a way to manually enable it in the app itself isnt? sense how?

 

[pika2000]

Wrong post response, sorry

 

[big-ted]

Don't have a problem with Apples rules, but they need to be applied consistently, not in the current random 'just got out the wrong side of bed' method

 

[AdonisSMU]

Not the point. Fact is, this app store policy is not new, and Jobs already explained it. Aka, this is not news, at all.
And I can still watch porn on my iDevices, no problem. So again, what's the point?

The problem is they literally have hook up apps and gay bondage apps in the app store. :/ I'm saying that as someone who has those apps on my phone.

Apple needs to be consistent.

 

[Steve121178]

You may like what Apple does or not (I do neither), but this has nothing to to with censorship (at least not in the strict sense of the word).

Apple's store, Apple's rules.

They need to be forcibly changed. As mentioned by numerous people, any web browser can give anyone access to porn, child porn, bestiality etc, so it's a nonsense really.

How many women have been killed by weirdos they've met on PoF, Tinder etc? Those apps are deemed safe.

 

[eRondeau]

The former U.S. Network TV censors from the 1950's-70's are in their nursing homes reading this story and saying "Wow, those Apple App Store censors are *really* prudish..."

 

[samcraig]

Facetime needs to go to - afterall, it's not just FACEs that get transmitted.

 

[ieatcake]

But HBO Go and HBO Now which are heavily promoted by Apple have their late night section which is unabashedly porn.

 

[DaveOP]

Err, why is this a big deal? I can just access Reddit from Safari. I don't even understand why one would need an app.

This is not a new policy. Steve Jobs have said it in the past, that if you want an open ecosystem, there's HTML5.
There are so many ways to access NSFW content that whining about this is supremely silly.

Try using Reddit in Safari heavily, and then try Narwhal. If you really read a lot of Reddit, there is no comparison.

 

[springsup]

Apple should really do a better job with this. This is one area they can still make real improvements in as the iOS ecosystem matures.

There should be some kind of 'NSFW' or 'Mature Content' API as part of the OS. Parents could set it via Parental Controls.

- That would allow apps which necessarily show mature content to be part of the AppStore.
- It would also allow apps which can show mature content (browsers, wikipedia apps, reddit apps, etc) to have a sensible, consistent filtering setting. I find the idea of some content being filtered out by default just wrong - the NSFW content is still valid content, and you shouldn't have to dig through settings for every app to discover if there's any content silently missing.
- Since it would be managed by the OS, parents can enforce it via Parental Controls. None of these apps can do anything about the kid just turning the filter off themselves.
- You could even make it more granular - maybe kids could even request exemptions for certain websites or content within apps, in the same way they can ask permission to make purchases (the parents' devices get a push notification, and they can allow or deny it). Maybe the kids are doing a school project and need to access history websites with some graphic images, for instance. The OS remembers the decision, and allows access to the content next time the app asks. The apps would provide a short description of the content, and possibly a web URL of the content so the parent can preview it.

Then we could put this issue to rest, once and for all.

 

[joueboy]

More like the iPhones are the real NSFW here. Police officers driving while on their phone, workers not paying attention for safety and restaurants having their phone while working in the kitchen and serving your food.

Edit: Oh by the way people use their phones to watch porn at work.

 

[Gawjuz]

I assume this is because of Reddit's lenient policy on some pretty abhorrent subreddits?

Although they did do a bit of a 'spring clean' last year. Still doesn't explain why the official app is still around...

 

[CheesePuff]

Err, why is this a big deal? I can just access Reddit from Safari. I don't even understand why one would need an app.

This is not a new policy. Steve Jobs have said it in the past, that if you want an open ecosystem, there's HTML5.
There are so many ways to access NSFW content that whining about this is supremely silly.

You must have never used a Reddit app, or use Reddit in general much. Their mobile site is TERRIBLE, and there are many wonderful native apps that are much much better then using their site.

 

[jlc1978]

I get it.

Boobs = Bad Apps that collect data or due the nefarious things against Apple's rules = We can't catch everything

 

[Traverse]

The first party app should have been pulled as well. Also, you can find all kinds of random apps in the app store that aren't "SFW" so where are they drawing the line?

 

[blairh]

This is absurd. There better be a workaround. I would leave iOS if I couldn't use my Reddit app of choice.

 

[vertsix]

This is so unbelievably dumb.