Is iPhone Guru Steve Jobs Right to Keep Adult Related Apps Out?
I read a rather interesting article today over on the WSJ by Eric Felten, which takes a look at Steve Jobs and his reasons for keeping adult related applications out of the App Store and off the iPhone and iPad and you can read that article in its entirety by hitting up the WSJ.
Basically the article centres round an email sent to Steve Jobs by Ryan Tate of Gawker, who happens to own Gizmodo who did the dirty on Apple and Jobs by outing the iPhone 4G.
The email to Jobs was basically along the lines of the iPad isn’t revolutionary as “revolutions are about freedom,” and that the Apple chief was imposing his own morality about porn by keeping it out of the App Store, to which Jobs answered, “We’re just doing what we can to try and make (and preserve) the user experience we envision.” I’m sure most of you at one point or another have come across that debate.
Of course there is concern over the underage gaining access to pornography by using an adult app, but it doesn’t stop the under-aged from surfing for porn on the web, and Apple could always come up with tight parental controls or make the developer come up with them to gain acceptance.
Then there’s the other point of just what is classed as adult imagery and who decides, Apple has decided that certain big name companies are ok to have in the app store while the lowly developer apps are rejected, which smacks of being just about revenue and not porn morality.
However, here’s my take, Apple owns the App Store and thus has the right to remove and ban anything it feels goes against their ethics and morality, those that wish to use porn do have a right to do so and thus should simply avoid using Apple products to find their porn, it’s simple really.
But then there is the question of just how much does it mean to Apple to not allow porn, yes you can’t download adult applications to the iPhone or iPad, but as both devices and Apple computers use a browser for internet surfing just how do they intend stopping the use of porn by that means?
Personally I feel that it is a case of to each their own, and unless Apple comes up with a way of stopping accessing porn on the internet on all of their products banning porn applications is fairly pointless; what do you think?
Comments
2 thoughts on “Is iPhone Guru Steve Jobs Right to Keep Adult Related Apps Out?”
I applaud Apple and Jobs for fighting to keep adult-themed apps out of the store. Pornography destroys lives and families, and it's refreshing to see someone stand up against it, even if he does so in an oblique way. Plus, like the article states, if someone has to have it, they can always find something on the internet, unfortunate as it is.
And honestly, using the fact that Apple products allow people to surf the net and find porn isn't a compelling argument for allowance of adult-themed apps into the apps store. Jobs and Apple have no control over independently made internet sites. But the apps store isn't any different than the iTunes movie downloads. The apps store is tied into Apple's reputation, it's proprietary. And if Apple wants to keep closing in on the American consumer public, largely which consists of families and non-porn-watchers, it behooves them to keep their reputation family-friendly.
I think many who either do not have children or who do not care about this issue have no idea how difficult it is to keep porn out of the hands of their kids. Three cheers for anything Steve Jobs is able to do to help. No one should complain about censorship at this stage – we are only talking about limiting the access by children.