Apple is escalating its war on smut. The first strike was banning overtly pornographic apps for the iPhone. Now, the company appears to be barring its iTunes store from selling all apps with "sexual content" or sexy themes, however innocuous — and the tech community is crying censorship. Has Apple gone too far in a bid to preempt conservative critics, or is the company just cleaning up its act before launching the family-friendly iPad?
This is straight up puritanism: The apps store was already "squeaky clean," writes Nick Farrell at Fudzilla. Some of the "risqué applications" in question simply feature "bikini models," not porn. What's next to go, "women's ankles?" We realize Apple wants to sell the iPad to "families and schools," but that doesn't mean it has to adopt "right-wing puritan values."
"Apple starts purge of iPhone applications"
"Apple starts purge of iPhone applications"
The purge is smart business: It might seem "prudish," but Apple is making a "smart business move," says Jeff Bertolucci at PC World. The iTouch is already "wildly popular" with kids, and now Apple wants to position the iPad as a "study tool" for high schoolers. For parents to buy in, Apple has to "squash the impression" that the App store is a "haven for smut."
"Why Apple's Porn Purge is a Smart Move"
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But where will the censorship end? This sets a "scary precedent," says Jason Kincaid at Techcrunch. Apple is "one of the world's largest gatekeepers to content" — will the company apply this "policy shift" to all the "books and magazines" it will publish for the new iPad? Will it ban "NC-17" rated movies because of a few complaints? Or classic books with "sexual content"?
"Apple Ban Sex"
Apple has gone mad: What a "stupid" business move, says Patricio Robles at Ecoconsultancy. If apps can be banned "without warning or explanation," developers may rethink "future investments." Apple should set up its app store as a "sovereign nation" in which developers are "private business owners" — not a "Stalin-like" regime that "puts them out of business" on a "whim."
"Sex sells, except in the App Store"
But where will the censorship end? This sets a "scary precedent," says Jason Kincaid at Techcrunch. Apple is "one of the world's largest gatekeepers to content" — will the company apply this "policy shift" to all the "books and magazines" it will publish for the new iPad? Will it ban "NC-17" rated movies because of a few complaints? Or classic books with "sexual content"?
"Apple Ban Sex"
Apple has gone mad: What a "stupid" business move, says Patricio Robles at Ecoconsultancy. If apps can be banned "without warning or explanation," developers may rethink "future investments." Apple should set up its app store as a "sovereign nation" in which developers are "private business owners" — not a "Stalin-like" regime that "puts them out of business" on a "whim."
"Sex sells, except in the App Store"
