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Apple bans boobs, babes and bikinis from App Store (updated 2x)

By | February 20, 2010, 4:50pm PST

Summary: Apple has completely banned apps with pictures of women (and men, yuck!) in bathing suits (bikinis and one-piece) and pretty much any images of boobs, babes, booty, sex, skin and even silhouettes.

wobble-ad-itunes-v01Its far from official but a slightly more clear picture is starting to emerge of Apple’s new morality rules at the App Store. After dropping the hammer on apps with “overtly sexual content” on Friday, Apple has tightened the noose even tighter on purveyors of iPorn.

Apple is working overtime this weekend, already deleting over 5,000 boob, babe and bikini apps as if the Queen Mother herself was dropping by for a visit.

Jon Atherton, developer of the popular Wobble app, spoke with Apple about the change in its policy and discovered that the new policies about sexual content in iPhone and iPod touch apps may be even stricter than originally thought.

According to Atherton Apple has completely banned apps with pictures of women (and men, yuck!) in bathing suits (bikinis and one-piece) and pretty much any images of boobs, babes, booty, sex, skin and even silhouettes – including the one in his screenshot above.

Better go grab those SI Swimsuit 2010, Playboy and Kim Kardashian apps before Apple’s thought police shut them down.

I wonder if Apple will use the famous kill switch to delete the apps from people’s devices?

Update: One explanation for the Apple crackdown could be that although Parental Controls are available in iTunes 9, they aren’t synced to the iPhone and iPod. But still, wouldn’t it be easier to improve the Parental Controls feature rather than shut down a whole category of apps? Shouldn’t developers at least be given some sort of notice of the new rules before their apps are removed?

Update2: The developer of Manga Strip Poker tells me that his app was removed but that his competitor Sexy Poker 2009 is still on sale. Saying “maybe it is because it is a Gameloft title?”

After the jump, Atherton’s 7 “New Rules” of the App Store…

1. No images of women in bikinis (Ice skating tights are not OK either)

2. No images of men in bikinis! (I didn’t ask about Ice Skating tights for men)

3. No skin (he seriously said this) (I asked if a Burqa was OK, and the Apple guy got angry)

4. No silhouettes that indicate that Wobble can be used for wobbling boobs (yes – I am serious, we have to remove the silhouette in this pic)
PLEASE NOT THIS IS AS BAD AS OUR APP GOT – CALL THIS “overtly sexual”?? I DON’T

5. No sexual connotations or innuendo: boobs, babes, booty, sex – all banned

6. Nothing that can be sexually arousing!! (I doubt many people could get aroused with the pic above but those puritanical guys at Apple must get off on pretty mundane things to find Wobble “overtly sexual!)

7. No apps will be approved that in any way imply sexual content (not sure how Playboy is still in the store, but …)

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Apple Inc., Gender And Diversity, Human Resources, Jason D. O'Grady

Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve

    • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

Talkback Most Recent of 102 Talkback(s)

  • Strange
    I don't care but it should be up to the user.

    I am against porn but people make choices.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    no_barry_2012
    20th Feb 2010
  • It doesn't really matter what you are for or against
    If anyone needed any more proof that the iPhone
    you just paid $199-$699 for doesn't belong to you,
    this is it.

    iPhone: It Just Works (for Apple, not for you,
    haha!!)
    ZDNet Gravatar
    NonZealot
    20th Feb 2010
  • Right.....
    Because most paid $199-$699 just for the purpose of seeing boob Apps. A subscription of playboy would be much cheaper and sufficient.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    dave95.
    21st Feb 2010
  • Every store has the right NOT to sell porn.
    In your perfect NonZealot world everyone MUST sell porn. Nice. Get a
    grip, it's Apple outlet they can sell what they see fit.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    CowLauncher
    22nd Feb 2010
  • Agreed : respect Apple's freedom (you have no choice anyway)
    This is a free country. Apple can and will sell what they like. Why are so many
    people wanting them to peddle porn (or is it a higher motive of "freedom").
    Their sounding more like Nazis all the time.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    pgstocker
    24th Feb 2010
  • So who does your blackberry belong to Zealot???
    Or your Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, etc???

    Do they let you do anything you want with their device and still offer support and a full waranty? Yeah... Apple doesn't either.... Do they let you install your own OS and Apps??? How many Apps did you say you get to choose from???

    Yeah... Guess you didn't think that one through... Pick any phone... hacking it voids support... Do you own it??? Same answer applies to an iPhone brainiac...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    i8thecat
    22nd Feb 2010
  • Apple Idiot.
    I have used many phones and hacked a few to. I had a K750i that I hacked to a K800 (for no good reason except the walkman app) When I updated it a few weeks later it updated as a k800 and still works and updates.

    I wish you cretins would smell the fresh air and get your noses out of SJ backside. This is a farce, who cares whether it is about porn, Boobs (Stop laughing Apple Fanboy they are only flesh and blood), or what ever.

    This is corporate ownership game, being told how to think, act, spend money, and fight for apples idiocy. Most of all this makes you, as an apple consumer,lose total dignity by giving your thumbs up to such a ludicrous and laughable concept of puritanic, moral over-lordship.

    Now lets all prostrate ourselves to the mightier than God, all controlling prat that is Steve Jobs and Apple.

    More madness than a bottle of bats bums.

    Take care all, and lets enjoy the self destruct that is Apple.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Horus418
    23rd Feb 2010
  • No *Apple* makes choices and the loyal sheep pay for it
    Apple is isolationist and totalitarian.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    T1Oracle
    21st Feb 2010
  • There is plenty out there.
    And if you feel the need (pun intended) to make porn for the iPhone there is the web dev kit. You're just not going to find any in the iPhone app store. Considering kids and schools are going to be a major market for the iPod touch and iPad I say good move on Apple's part.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    oncall
    21st Feb 2010
  • Seriously? iPods and iPads in the classroom?
    Think that through...I know of at least one school (my daughter's) that is confiscating iPods on sight, 1st offense they are given back to the parent, 2nd offense they are given back to parents after a week, 3rd offense they become property of our school district.

    And iPads in the classroom? for what? Not even discussing the obvious 'fragile' factor, what good would an iPad do? Teach them to use the internet? something a device (netbook) can do for 1/3 the cost? along with all the other things a netbook could teach them that an iPod can't?

    The only content Apple should be disapproving is such that affects security of the device. Adult, explicit, etc., content? That's my decision on whether I want that on my device or to be able to look at whatever, it's not Apple's job or right to filter. Imagine the outcry if MS started filtering "content" on their o/s? Or, what if your ISP started filtering content, based on what they think you need? For the sake of the kids and schools?

    At a school, content filtering is the job of the school administrator. At home, it's the parent's job. Not Apple's.

    What's next? blocking content for cigarette smokers?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Randy3147
    21st Feb 2010
  • OK
    So maybe you missed the news where school textbooks makers are working to make school textbooks compatible with the iPad.

    I am still going to side with Apple on this. As a parent myself I don't need devices that make me feel like I have to work harder to do my job of parenting TYVM and I will be spending my dollars accordingly.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    oncall
    21st Feb 2010
  • You may need to think that through......
    Many schools ran the iPod program (with iTunes U) for kids in classrooms, so yeah I could see them adopting the iPad once it's launched. I take it your daughter's school does not run this program. While you may look at the iPad close-mindedly (big surprise), a teacher may look at it and see an endless array of teaching possibilities in a device with a larger more beautiful screen than a netbook. Easier to use than a netbook. Less maintenance than a netbook. Much more fun to use than a cheapo netbook. "Fun" is key in grabbing students attention and keeping them wanting to learn more (depending on the grade level). Which device do you think would grab students attention more, a cheapo netbook that also can be fragile because of it's cheap built, or an iPad? btw I don't think teachers care about how much more a full OS netbook can do, it's how intuitive it is for the kids to pick up and use/learn that counts.




    ZDNet Gravatar
    dave95.
    21st Feb 2010
  • I am assuming
    The maintenance issue will be less given a lack of moving parts and a relatively locked down OS. Support costs can be substantial as well as we all know. So if an iPad costs more at start but less in support costs it may be the better deal. Where I work, the bean counters understand high start-up costs and absolutely LOATH support costs.

    We know netbooks have a relatively high failure rate. The "fragility" issue for the iPad is, as yet, unknown. Yes, the glass screen can break if subject to a direct blow, a netbook can suffer a hardware malfunction as well if subjected to trauma. No doubt there will be start-ups that specialize in "iPad screen replacement" in addition to the Apple store.

    No webcam of course, that may be a plus at this time wink
    ZDNet Gravatar
    oncall
    21st Feb 2010
  • Of course, "cheapo netbook"...
    is a hell of a lot cheaper to replace when your
    kid's bag falls off the seat on the bus. In
    fact, the chance of it breaking in the first
    place is a lot lower too. My eeePC 900A has
    fallen off my desk a few times in college and
    takes almost no damage. An idevice, however,
    is a lot more fragile, even with a case you
    still have a spinning hard drive. Plenty of
    schools have experimented with personal
    platforms in school, of any type, but a full
    rollout is a lot less common and it'd take a
    lot more durability on apple's side before the
    ipad would look like a viable option in
    education. Even if the school sees it as a
    smart move, the parents who have to pay for
    their kids' accidents (and those who can't
    afford to) don't.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    gildedlink
    22nd Feb 2010
  • Yo!
    Somehow you missed the fact that the iPad has solid state
    memory--as do all iPod touch models. However, cheapo netbooks
    have spinning hard drives, with all those vulnerabilities you worry
    about...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    frabjous
    24th Feb 2010
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