'Playboy' for iPad could signal arrival of adult content on Apple's iOS

AppleInsider

Adult magazine Playboy has announced that its entire catalog is headed to the iPad in March, suggesting Apple plans to change its stance on banning mature content from the iOS App Store.



"Big news! Playboy -- both old & new -- will be available on iPad beginning in March," was posted on the official Twitter account of publisher Hugh Hefner this week. Subsequent posts reaffirmed that the entire catalog will be available uncensored.



Of course, it's also possible that the Playboy issues could come to iPad with Web-based access through the device's Safari browser. Hefner's posts made no mention of the App Store, or potential approval from Apple.



An application with nudity would violate the existing guidelines for App Store software, published by Apple last fall. The "Content" section of the official App Store Review Guidelines specifically prohibits pornography.



"Apps containing pornographic material, defined by Webster's Dictionary as 'explicit descriptions or displays of sexual organs or activities intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings,' will be rejected," the section reads.



Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs has cited pornography as one of the major reasons all software on the App Store must be approved. Last year he noted that there is a "porn store" for the Google Android mobile operating system, Apple's chief competitor in the mobile space.



"You can download it, your kids can download it," Jobs said. "That's a place we don't want to go, so we're not going to."



If issues from Playboy are indeed coming to the App Store, it would be a 180-degree change for Apple, which has not allowed adult content in native iOS software for the iPhone and iPad.



Playboy already has an official application available on the App Store for 99 cents, though it does not include any nudity. The official description for the application notes "This app does NOT contain any nude content."

wurm5150

Yes! Hallelujah! My dreams are coming true. I'm definitely getting an iPad now.

superbass

A bit of a stretch to call Playboy "mature" content, no?

spamsandwich

Probably just a web app.

macrulez

deleted

prof. peabody

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superbass


A bit of a stretch to call Playboy "mature" content, no?

Considering it's the USA and considering that Apple bans even pictures of girls in bikinis as being for "mature audiences" Playboy kind of fits right in IMO.



It might seem ridiculous to those of us outside of the US but Playboy is pretty much hard core pornography as far as Apple is concerned.

98raptorta

This makes sense since the iPad, iPhone, and iPod all can be held easily with one hand.

wurm5150

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98RaptorTA


This makes sense since the iPad, iPhone, and iPod all can be held easily with one hand.

Hahahaha.. Took me a few seconds to get it.



Exactly why they need to make the iPad lighter.

core2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody


Considering it's the USA and considering that Apple bans even pictures of girls in bikinis as being for "mature audiences" Playboy kind of fits right in IMO.



It might seem ridiculous to those of us outside of the US but Playboy is pretty much hard core pornography as far as Apple is concerned.

I think there is a different stance with books, there are some books available that are quite erotic on the iBooks app so maybe Mags are being treated as such... who knows...



And I did LOL at the one hand comment...

walshbj

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wurm5150


Yes! Hallelujah! My dreams are coming true. I'm definitely getting an iPad now.

Reminds me of Animal House. "Thank you God !"

iancass79

The more I think about it...I doubt this will be what everyone thinks it is. I have money on some kind of app that gives access to the content from their site. Wouldn't that kind of be a work around or still banned due to porn rule?

christopher126

I loooooooove women! Yum, Yum!

macinthe408

iPad 1 for the living room, iPad 2 for the bathroom.



Done.

iliver

What a joke- Playboy is adult? Like 50 years ago.

A siliconed topless woman is "hardly" porn.

pondosinatra

Hopefully someone makes a midget porn app!

bmovie

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98RaptorTA


This makes sense since the iPad, iPhone, and iPod all can be held easily with one hand.

The iPad is a little hard to scroll with one hand.



The Galaxy Tab (because of it's relatively, diminutive size) is much better at this. Excellent for taking into the bathroom stall and will fit into some hip pockets.



I'd be careful shaking hands with people who own a Tab?especially those that are unusually hairy (hands and Tabs).

retrogusto

Apparently it will be text only, although some of the illustrations will be rendered in ascii.

ajmas

It would be interesting to see whether this version of the magazine is more text and less images. If that is the case, it would not necessarily indicate a change of direction.



If it is a change a direction, I wonder whether Apple will choose to cordon off a section of the store so it is only accessible by people who are of suitable age and are going there expecting to see that sort of material.

bmovie

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLiver


What a joke- Playboy is adult? Like 50 years ago.

A siliconed topless woman is "hardly" porn.

50 years ago there was public hair!

onhka

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody


Considering it's the USA and considering that Apple bans even pictures of girls in bikinis as being for "mature audiences" Playboy kind of fits right in IMO.



It might seem ridiculous to those of us outside of the US but Playboy is pretty much hard core pornography as far as Apple is concerned.

Simply Beach was reinstated a few days after it was rejected.



If I am not mistaken, Playboy is one of many mags that are sealed in stores in Canada, UK, Australia,?

Quote:

In many parts of Asia, including India, mainland China, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei, sale and distribution of Playboy is banned. In addition, sale and distribution is banned in almost all Muslim countries (except Turkey) in Asia and Africa, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. However, it is sold in Hong Kong. In Japan, where genitals of models cannot be shown, a separate edition is published under license by Shueisha.



An Indonesian edition was launched in April 2006, but controversy started before the first issue. Though the publisher said the content of the Indonesian edition will be different from the original edition, the government was tried to ban it by using anti-pornography rules. (The Indonesian government cannot ban any medium.) A Muslim organization, the Islamic Defenders Front (IDF), opposed Playboy on the grounds of pornography. On April 12, about 150 IDF members clashed with police and stoned the editorial offices. Despite this, the edition quickly sold out. On April 6, 2007 the chief judge of the case dismissed the charges because they had been incorrectly filed.[21]



In 1986, the American convenience store chain 7-Eleven removed the magazine. The store returned Playboy to its shelves in late 2003. 7-Eleven had also been selling Penthouse and other similar magazines before the ban.



In 1995 - after a 36 year ban - Playboy was returned to shelves in Ireland. Many women's groups in the country asked for the ban to remain in place.[22]



In bookstores throughout the world, it is common for Playboy, as well as other adult publications, to be put on a higher shelf than other magazines, keeping them out of the reach of children. They are also often wrapped in opaque plastic bags so as to not reveal the cover. Prior to the late 1980s, Playboy was usually covered with a heavy paper wrapping, similar to paper bags commonly found in grocery stores, with the famous bunny head logo imprinted in black on both sides; however, up to and into the 1970s in the United States, mailed issues using the "plain brown wrapper" did not indicate the Playboy name or logo. The magazine could be slid in and out of the wrapper for viewing, as opposed to the modern sealed plastic bags.



Playboy was not sold in the state of Queensland, Australia during 2004 and 2005 but returned as of 2006. Due to declining sales, the last Australian edition of Playboy was the January 2000 issue.

I know one thing. My wife banned Playboy and Penthouse in our home when our son was born.

crowley

They sell explicit music, movies and TV shows on the iTunes Store, so the App Store policy has always seemed a pit out of place.



Playboy would seem like an appropriate baby step, it's certainly at the tamer end of the adult market.



Presumably adult apps could be PIN locked to prevent the kids of the household getting into them. Though good parenting would probably be to avoid altogether.