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Topic: Software Development

Apple cleans up App Store, goes PG-13

Summary: Apple is cleaning up the App Store, chucking out anything an everything even vaguely "sexy."

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

By for Hardware 2.0 |

Apple is cleaning up the App Store, chucking out anything an everything even vaguely "sexy."

The upshot of this early bit of spring cleaning is that some 5,000 apps have been removed from the App Store, without giving the developers any warning whatsoever.

There's no official word from Apple on this mass censorship yet, but Chillifresh has been given some guidelines:

  1. No images of women in bikinis
  2. No images of men in bikinis!
  3. No skin
  4. No silhouettes
  5. No sexual connotations or innuendo: boobs, babes, booty, sex – all banned
  6. Nothing that can be sexually arousing!!
  7. No apps will be approved that in any way imply sexual content

[poll id="508"]

Pretty tight rules, and once again Apple runs roughshod over developers.

Bottom line of this is that all of us that deal with Apple (both as buyer or developers) need to be aware of the fact that the App Store is Apple's place, and their rules apply. Don't like it? Tough.

Topics: Software Development, Apple

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Talkback

54 comments
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  • Sounds like China

    I wouldn't mind it so much if you could get apps from anywhere. After all, it's their store.
    gtvr
    Reply Vote

    • Exactly

      They either need to open up the store or open up the platform.
      Michael Kelly
      Reply Vote

      • And you need porn, soft or otherwise, on your phone why?

        Yeah I know...it's your god given right.
        IT_Guy_z
        Reply Vote

        • Dangerous waters....

          Everyone's happy as long as their freedom isn't trampled. "I don't like porn so I couldn't care less" turns to "how can they do this?!?!?!" when its something people DO care about when its being banned. Thats the price of freedom....sometimes you have to defend things you don't like in order to defend your own freedom.
          storm14k
          Reply Vote

          • First they came for the bikinis, and I did not speak out ...

            In case you don't know the rest

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came...

            or

            http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/articles6/hangman_by_maurice_o.htm
            barts185
            Reply Vote

        • I didn't know a bikini was porn

          And I see you subscribe to the notion that if *you* don't need or want something (that is perfectly legal by the way) you don't think anyone else should have it either.
          tikigawd
          Reply Vote

    • 2 Apple is very much like China.

      An isolationist dictatorship.
      T1Oracle
      Reply Vote

    • Not China, more like the Taliban.

      I think this is more oppressive than China. It sounds to me to be more like Afghanistan, when the Taliban was in charge.
      Regards,
      The Masked Villain
      The Masked Villain
      Reply Vote

      • Not so much

        I mean, the Taliban would kill you. China just has their great firewall.
        gtvr
        Reply Vote

  • iLike U Know Why?

    Let the other camp deal with that trash. The App store is no different than Wal-Mart. It is their store and you are right Adrian... if you don't like it TOUGH!!

    Go develop for Android Porn..... Porn has its place and I am no prude BUT Apple is keeping the integrity of their Store.... As it very well should.

    The last thing I need is for some punk ass perv to get a hold of my phone only to return it to me wondering why there is a gooey mess on my iPhone. DOH!!!!

    Again porn has it place it just not going to be on MY phone and I am estatic about that fact.

    Apple WARNED the App developers not to go there and do you think the 5000 Apps devs listened????? NO THEY BASICALLY SAID FU APPLE WE ARE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY AND NOW THEY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO THROW STONES @ APPLE FOR PULLING THEIR PORN APPS>??????? I SAY FU PORN APP DEVELOPERS GO MAKE A MESS OUT OF ANDROID AS IF IT IS NOT ALREADY A MESS AS IT IS!!!!!!

    GO F UP ANDROID because Apple has said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH... If you do not want to play nice then take you PORN TRASH SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY WE DON'T NEED YOU!!!

    ENOUGH SAID!.
    wickmac@...
    Reply Vote

    • I don't want porn on my phone either

      So I don't put any on. And I don't have a problem with Apple wanting to keep its store PG-13 either. What I have a problem with is that Apple will not let me have a rated XXX phone if that's what I choose to have. They will not let me choose another store if their store does not have what I want.

      Now I get around that by choosing another platform, but I feel for those who did choose Apple's platform and are finding out the hard way that they cannot use their phone as they might choose.
      Michael Kelly
      Reply Vote

      • Choice You @ least HAVE ONE

        It is YOUR choice and you CHOOSE not to go with Apple. THAT IS YOUR FREEDOM TO CHOOSE.

        To Bad....for you..... If you NEED porn on your phone Go with Android... YOU HAVE THAT CHOICE!!!!!!

        If you owned and operated a McDonald's franchise would you allow me to put up my SMUT magazine rack in the main lobby for my profit of 70 and your cut 30? HUH? Would you?

        That material is for the Adult bookstores, NOT Apple's App Store... IT IS APPLE'S STORE!!!!! JESUS!! GET THAT THROUGH UR HEAD ALREADY.

        You Do have a Choice and that IS FREEDOM.. the abilty to Choose.... and AGAIN IT AIN'T APPLE. PERIOD DOT END OF STORY... Some people you just CAN'T REACH!!
        wickmac@...
        Reply Vote

        • Take a deep breath and kick back

          you seem to be getting a bit worked up over this and it's honestly not that big of a deal...

          The "porn" apps were pretty lame and deeply overhyped - all they showed was girls in bikinis which one could scope out at any beach... Nice looking girls don't get me wrong but hardly anything to get this worked up over. In some ways I do think Apple went overboard with this - yes it IS their store and yes they DO reserve the right to dictate what is sold in that store but when they let SI keep their swimsuit app, when they let Playboy keep their app, and let Maxim keep theirs... it's not really a case of driving off the porn peddlers anymore. Especially with the presence of the [i]Playboy[/i] app in the app store.
          athynz
          Reply Vote

      • Really though? C'mon.

        I find this whole pitch-fork rage over a few "porn" Apps just hilarious. Is cleaning up some questionable content in their store that serious of a deal to you?

        You can't say you have no problem with Apple wanting its store PG-13 and then you have a problem with their method of trying to keep it PG-13. It's either they let it grow like wild vines and turn into a "porn" hub (not the direction they want to go), or they do something to stop it NOW. You still have the open web for all your questionable content. You can jailbreak it. You can also load your own porn photos for that quick fix lol.

        btw times has changed, even Microsoft Win Phone 7 won' let you load your own store. Palm doesn't. Android doesn't I don't think. Why the beef with Apple?
        dave95.
        Reply Vote

    • Well that was entertaining...

      ...though a little less stimulating than porn.

      First of all, I don't argue that it's their store, but you do not have a right to dictate what *I* can and cannot do on my device, and neither should any business.

      I *do* like censoring the app store to a point that there should be ratings and filters, but *I* should be able to bypass that and get what I want.

      Mind you, I don't own an i984 phone, since I despise the hypocrisy of the company's use of the 1984 metaphor when they ARE the ones perpetuating the mindless user mentality.
      GoodThings2Life
      Reply Vote

    • Wow

      I agree with you on some level, but wow, you may want to see a doctor. Or a psychologist, for that matter.

      I get why they chose to do it, but I still am not comfortable with Apple being overarching presider. I know it's their ecosystem, but their dominance in it is part of the reason I choose not to partake in their products.
      rlorenz
      Reply Vote

    • A woman in a bikini is porn now?

      Wow man. This country is really going down fast. People whine about the current presidents so called socialist plot while they cheer on more and more control of what you are able to see and do in the name of decency and anti-terror. Simply amazing.
      storm14k
      Reply Vote

      • haha, we're back to the 40's

        not showing skin at all?? bikinis? swimsuits??
        just because they say no, it wont stop for people to want it more..
        I agree with putting filters but forbidden??.. that's an open invitation to 'I challenge you to do it'..
        this culture lacks of common sense.. it's all or nothing.. no grays or in betweens??
        cheers :)
        Angel_Tech
        Reply Vote

        • In most aspects, except for cost of living.

          :D
          HypnoToad72
          Reply Vote

      • NO not @ all

        Apple is weeding out the SMUT..... U know... the NASTY NASTY .... Hey If your into S&M All the power to YA!! Have @ IT!! Apple Don't WANT IT!!! GET IT!

        Do you really want to see the Gimp on your iPhone?
        I mean there are so many other portals to get your SMUT!!! its EVERYWHERE!!! Apple is the first company to have the BALLS to say Not Here, Not Now, Not Ever....

        And 4 the record SI & Playboy is NOT SMUT!!! Maxim is close but they don't have some Slut with a close up of her dripping BEEP!!!! with some Creeper hovering over her like he just conquered Rome!!! u get where I am coming from? SLEAZY SMUT.... MILF HUNTER TYPE STUFF......JESUS find it someplace ELSE!!!!! Stop the whining YOU PERV!! LOL

        This move by Apple, will pay HUGE dividends in it's mobile strategies future.
        wickmac@...
        Reply Vote
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