Apple's Removal of 'Overtly Sexual' Apps Angers Users and Developers

Apple sparked a new round of controversy about its app store when it announced over the weekend that it would be removing thousands of apps deemed inappropriate for young people because of racy content.

The iPhone user outcry is nothing new – people have been criticizing Apple's subjective approval system for quite some time – but this time Apple has decided to offer a response, albeit one that doesn't make complete sense.

Apple decided to remove any apps that were "overtly sexual" from the iTunes App Store, resulting in around 5,000 apps being taken down. Apple has always blocked pornographic content, but the new standards even prohibit images of women in bikinis and lingerie. Apple's head of worldwide product marketing, Philip Schiller, told the New York Times that the new rules are a response to consumer complaints.

"It came to the point where we were getting customer complaints from women who found the content getting too degrading and objectionable, as well as parents who were upset with what their kids were able to see," Schiller said.

"We obviously care about developers, but in the end have to put the needs of the kids and parents first."

It's no secret that many app developers have been trying to be as suggestive and racy as possible while still skirting the rules. But many developers are crying foul because of the inherent double standard in Apple's method for determining what constitutes "overtly sexual."

For instance, several swimsuit catalogs, such as the one from Simply Beach, have been banned, whereas apps for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and FHM magazines – both famous for having extremely skimpy swimwear, body painting and other overtly racy content – have been allowed to remain in the App Store.

Schiller was asked why the SI app was allowed to remain. His response: "The difference is this is a well-known company with previously published material available broadly in a well-accepted format."

Many developers, particularly those making significant revenue from risqué iPhone apps, say this is a double standard.

"I'm shocked," said Fred Clarke, co-president of a small app developing company called On the Go Girls.

"We're showing stuff that's racier than the Disney Channel, but not by much," Clarke, whose company makes apps featuring women in undergarments, told the Times.

Another reason the new rules rankle developers is that Apple introduced parental controls last year to prevent underage children from accessing inappropriate apps. These developers feel Apple should be educating people more about how to use the parental controls rather than removing thousands of apps.

Ultimately, the biggest problem for developers is not being able to tell exactly which investments will pay off .

"It’s very hard to go from making a good living to zero," Clarke said. "This goes farther than sexy content. For developers, how do you know you aren’t going to invest thousands into a business only to find out one day you’ve been cut off?"

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