Apple pulls, then reinstates several Reddit clients from App Store over 'Not Safe for Work' toggle

Posted:
in iPhone
Apple briefly removed several popular Reddit clients from the App Store, after it began cracking down on a feature allowing users to toggle whether "not safe for work" content is displayed by default.




Apps such as Antenna, Eggplant, Narwhal, and Submarine suddenly vanished from the store on Monday -- or had updates rejected -- because of App Store rule 18.2, blocking apps with user-generated content that is "frequently pornographic."

A Reddit moderator said that two official Reddit clients, Alien Blue and Reddit Official, were asked to be resubmitted to remove a "Safe for Work Browsing" toggle, despite the fact that the feature was developed with help from Apple.

While some titles are now back on the App Store in modified form, others appear to be intact without changes. The developer of Eggplant, for instance, noted that Apple suddenly restored the pulled version, leaving a modified update sitting in the review queue. That may suggest that Apple reviewers changed their interpretation of rule 18.2, though that's uncertain.

Apple has often come under fire for the strictness of its App Store content policies. While almost anything is permitted in video sold on the iTunes Store, censorship is much stricter at the App Store, even when potentially offensive content is incidental to the app's main purpose, as with Reddit clients.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Then Periscope should be banned because there's no shortage of nudeness, and sexual acts being broadcast. 
    oirudleahcim
  • Reply 2 of 11
    Then Periscope should be banned because there's no shortage of nudeness, and sexual acts being broadcast. 
    I haven't seen any myself but there's an awful lot of pot smoking that goes on on Periscope.
    oirudleahcim
  • Reply 3 of 11
    Apple should at least give app developers a chance to submit an update instead of just immediately and without warning yanking apps that have been in the store for years.
    oirudleahcim
  • Reply 4 of 11
    Pull and reinstate..That's how I got a bunch of illegitimate kids.
    edited April 2016 noivadoirudleahcim
  • Reply 5 of 11
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    Sadly this seems to be the norm for app review. Pull something, the tech press/rumor sites find out about it and make it public and then the app gets reinstated. Perhaps app review shouldn't be so quick to yank things from the App Store.
    gatorguyoirudleahcim
  • Reply 6 of 11
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Then Periscope should be banned because there's no shortage of nudeness, and sexual acts being broadcast. 
    I haven't seen any myself but there's an awful lot of pot smoking that goes on on Periscope.
    Oh yeah, that too.  :D
  • Reply 7 of 11
    noivadnoivad Posts: 186member
    It’s clear Apple’s categories are not sufficiently defined to handle these border cases, like most amateur* category systems. Had Apple actually thought about all potential categories of 3rd party content app, they would’ve differentiated between applications where adult content was the whole point and where content is uncensored. This “either it’s ‘adult’ or it’s not” view is disgustingly myopic.

    *amateur because any first year library sciences student could’ve spotted this potential issue before they implemented any categories (the same is true for their app categories that lump too many different types of apps together).So, it’s obvious they didn’t consult one.
    edited April 2016 oirudleahcim
  • Reply 8 of 11
    mcarlingmcarling Posts: 1,106member
    Apple should allow pornography in the App Store, subject to reasonable age verification.
  • Reply 9 of 11
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    mcarling said:
    Apple should allow pornography in the App Store, subject to reasonable age verification.
    Reasonable age verification would require parents to set up parental boundaries controls correctly.  Apple will get blamed if they don't, so the damned if they do and no more damned than currently if they don't. 
    oirudleahcim
  • Reply 10 of 11
    So, the tumblr app gets a free pass, right? <cough,cough>
  • Reply 11 of 11
    mcarlingmcarling Posts: 1,106member
    iOS devices all include Safari, which can access vast stores of pornography that is not age-restricted, so allowing apps that can access pornography for those whose iTunes account has an "over 18" bit set should not be an issue.
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