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Apple Targets An Estimated 5,000 'Sexy' Apps for Deletion
by Danny Cowan [Mobile Phone]
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February 23, 2010
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Over the weekend, Apple removed a large quantity of games and applications from the iTunes App Store, citing a sudden change in guidelines for acceptable content.
Speaking to TechCrunch, App Store developer Jon Atherton disclosed the contents of an Apple e-mail notifying him of the change:
The App Store continues to evolve, and as such, we are constantly refining our guidelines. Your application, Wobble iBoobs (Premium Uncensored), contains content that we had originally believed to be suitable for distribution. However, we have recently received numerous complaints from our customers about this type of content, and have changed our guidelines appropriately.
We have decided to remove any overtly sexual content from the App Store, which includes your application.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter. If you believe you can make the necessary changes so that Wobble iBoobs (Premium Uncensored) complies with our recent changes, we encourage you to do so and resubmit for review.
Sincerely,
iPhone App Review
Atherton’s application Wobble iBoobs allows users to modify stored photos to add animated warping visual effects. The application’s description, screenshots, and thumbnail image imply that users would be able to use Wobble iBoobs to add “jiggle” animations to female breasts in photos.
The change in content standards affects many applications previously approved for inclusion in the App Store. A quick search at iPhone application aggregate site Apptism revealed that the majority of apps featuring words like “sexy,” “boobs,” and “bikini” in their titles are no longer available for sale.
Affected games include IUGO’s recently released Daisy Mae’s Alien Buffet and Attack of the Zombie Bikini Babes from Outer Space, a game from prominent App Store publisher Smule (Leaf Trombone, I Am T-Pain).
After speaking to an Apple employee for clarification as to what types of content are no longer acceptable, Wobble iBoobs creator Atherton described a new set of content standards at his blog:
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
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 …)
As Atherton notes, the sexually suggestive official Playboy application is still available for sale. Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit applications and a number of instructional Kama Sutra apps are also unaffected.
Follow-up posts from Atherton estimate that over 2,500 applications have been deleted in the Entertainment category so far, with over 5,000 apps affected in total. Atherton also suggests that the changes were made to close the gap between Apple’s content guidelines and AT&T’s application standards.
[UPDATE: As commenters note, Daisy Mae's Alien Buffet was restored to the App Store yesterday, although the vast majority of the other apps and games are still unavailable.]
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This so makes me want to crack jokes about the People's Republic of Apple. Oops, too late.
A shame that "Attack of the Zombie Bikini Babes from Outer Space" was pulled. That game deserves props for it's ridiculous name alone.
They already have parental controls on the actual playback of apps, so why is it that much more difficult to apply the same restrictions on the app store itself?
I can see Apple banning outright pornography, but bikini's? Last time I checked there are bikini's even in G rated films in this country. The burka comment is right on because we DON'T live in a religous state (regardless of what the GOP wants), and we typically only see these types of strict no-flesh regulations in places where the terrorists have already won.
Apple does not care about setting moral standards - look at the movies, music, podcasts, etc that exist within other areas of the store.
This is in response to consumers and (I'll bet) their own concerns of the app store becoming saturated with this type of software.
Ok, if anybody complains next on Steam about a game with guns/marines/war themes/religious jokes about christians-jews-muslims-buddhists or simply a beach volleyball game, Steam can remove the game and say "Look customers complained about this stuff"?
Of course Apple is setting moral standards, it's their platform, they decide, what is appropriate and what is not appropriate. But it seems their definition of appropriate has more to do with the definition of Saudi Arabia, then with the definition of the (also much to sexophobic) countries of Europe or the USA.
Danny, you are my hero of the day. I'm so glad that got said.
@All
If Apple has been getting complaints about this they should have considered a technical solution to filtering adult content. Unfortunately Apple has a long history of solving its problems in ways that are easy for them and brutal for developers. Honestly Apple has -never- been developer friendly and this is one of the top causes for their small slice of the PC market share.
Say what you will about the evil empire, at least they make an effort to build up developer tools and relationships (as long as you're not developing a competing product..)
I knew them danged weeble wobbles would take over.
Enough already.
I agree. I'm definitely going android when I re-up.
Apple has always been tremendously narcissistic, and continues to believe that its superiority gives them the leverage to treat consumers and developers any way they want.
Unfortunately they also tremendously overestimate their products and position.
It's not so much about the content, but information about the content. Which is presumably why Playboy and Sports Illustrated stuff is still around, parents know what's in it.
The proper way Apple should have responded is with a rating system, so concerned people can lock out certain content. But it's easy to see why Apple didn't. It would slow down the flood of apps and increase costs, either to themselves (if they did it internally) or the developers (if they required rating by the ESRB). Though it's quite possible they are working on a rating system, but did this as a stopgap measure.
I have to imagine that Apple will feel the backlash from this -- developers and publishers of recently banned titles may find themselves shifting over to the Android, and as a direct result Apple's pocketbook will become just a little bit lighter (not like they will notice).
Apple has been more of a religion than a company for years. The fact that the PSP wildly outpowers the iPhone as a gaming platform doesn't help them much either. Their arbitrary and capricious approval/disapproval process just puts the final nail in the coffin.
Despite the alleged comments that are quoted to be by Apple, these are not officially stated stances _from_ Apple. Furthermore, games such as Daisy Mae (mistakenly pulled but put back on), Arodius, and Tehra Dark Warrior, and Inotia 2: A Wanderer of Luone have characters in ridiculously skimpy suits and are currently up on the App Store. Maybe the silly boob apps are in trouble, but the only game I've heard that was pulled was "Attack of the Zombie Bikini Babes from Outer Space".
Trust me, take a look at this and tell me you're worried about a bikini in an RPG:
http://appshopper.com/games/tehra-dark-warrior (that's the protagonist in that first picture BTW, and not the dragon)
Jeremy Reaban: They do have a ratings system, which includes descriptors for things like sexual content, alcohol use, violence, etc. Every single app (even productivity or utility apps) has a rating attached to it.
Also, no way in heck will Apple ever force ESRB. The ESRB fees would kill most of the market.
Can't apple do a rating system themselves? Do they need ESRB?
I think the West needs an over spam of shallow sexual content in games and movies for a few years that at the end of it all no one is bothered by a pair of nude breasts or behind. And that most of the beaches are nude beaches. Then we can focus on what's really important, which I don't know what that would be...