The real answer is a 3-part solution: One store section in which all apps are apple certified and monitored for content, anyone can download from this part from thios part, no age or managment controls: a new app store segment of Apple certified apps that are adults only, using the same controls that are in place for R rated movies or Explicit music (but leaving Apple just enough legal leg room to reject crap like Shaken Baby). lastly, we need a more organic, less centrally controlled method to load "wild card" apps, apps that havent been certified by apple, arent distributed by Apple and prompt a big scarry warning when it is installed onto the phone via the itunes client: Every blackberry can use any app from any web site, so long as it works, it works...This would literlay KILL jail breaking, dead over night.Additionally, it would elimenate all advantages that Windows Mobile, BB, Palm Pre, Google, and Symbian have on apps at the moment
With the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" case appearing again in the news, it could
be that Apple is afraid they will somehow incur obscenity fines from the (majority
reactionary) Federal Communications Commision.
t.
What grounds could the FCC use? the fact that they can use wifi or cell network isnt enough to get FCC content judgement as TV is free to air broadcast, it finds you if you have an antenna and tuner, a cell signal requiers both parties to willingly partisipate, so it would fall under the same rules as Directv or Dish Network I beleive that there was a ruling about adult content on free to air C-Band back in the day, they had to encode it and charge the end user, then they were fine.
Basicly, no matter how loud the whiney jesus freaks scream, the FCC wouldnt be the ones to regulate it if presidence is any indication.
I think Apple has made some serious mistakes with its app approval process. Overall though, seeing as how powerful, capable, and popular the development platform has become I think its a wise choice to be cautious with the App Store moral code. Its just a fact of life that the US has a particularly conservative culture. I can understand Apple being cautious.
A teenage sexting app would be popular with some, but would risk major backlash from parents and the media. A popular company flush with billions in the bank, Apple has to be careful.
Exactly, there are parental controls, and content filtering on safari/mail and iTunes. Once in place on the App store, then it will be consistent across the board. if they let it through now, then the other side will complain... better be thought too harsh now, then be too permissive. Once the controls are in place, then it won't be an issue.
The real answer is a 3-part solution: One store section in which all apps are apple certified and monitored for content, anyone can download from this part from thios part, no age or managment controls: a new app store segment of Apple certified apps that are adults only, using the same controls that are in place for R rated movies or Explicit music (but leaving Apple just enough legal leg room to reject crap like Shaken Baby). lastly, we need a more organic, less centrally controlled method to load "wild card" apps, apps that havent been certified by apple...
I'm not so sure that will happen. The platform may be less encumbered by content checking, but it will harder to create an app at the same level of the iPhone SDK. Then there is the issue of how many will get the app. I think that Reznor has to either remove the profanity or wait until v3.0 to come out. Since it's only a couple months away I think he will probably just wait, but they really need to have more consistency between the apps and music they sell with profanity.
The issue is that Parental Controls ARE in place for music but NOT for apps.
Once Parental Controls ARE in place for apps then Apple will sell more explicit content and parents will continue to oblivious to their children's consumption.
Apple is not trying to keep mature content off the iPhone. They are trying to keep mature content off their servers. It is the same reason you don't find porn videos on iTunes. However, you can find some movies with nudity on iTunes but that because there is a standard rating system for movie content so Apple cannot be assumed liable. There is no standard rating system for software.
Well there is already a well established standard for rating video games(which comprise a bulk of the app store).
eC - Early Childhood - Content suitable for children over the age of 3. These games contain no objectionable material and are intended for a young audience.
E - Everyone - These games are aimed at a broad audience but are suitable for younger children over the age of 5. Minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence may be encountered. Many games receive this rating.
E10+ - Everyone 10 and Over - These games may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence than previous ratings. Mild language and minimal suggestive themes may also be present. This rating is relatively new and was added in early 2005.
T - Teen - The most common rating for video games. The content of these games may be suitable for ages 13 and over and could contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood and infrequent use of strong language.
M - Mature - These titles are intended for ages 17 and over. Intense violence, blood and gore, strong language and sexual content may be present. Many retailers refuse to sell these games to minors.
AO - Adults Only - Aimed at adults over the age of 17 only, these games may include prolonged scenes of violence, graphic sexual content and nudity. In 2005 there are under 20 games with this rating, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas after the Hot Coffee controversy.
RP - Rating Pending - This simply means the ESRB has yet to evaluate the content of the game.
My iPhone is the only place I feel comfortable letting my kids watch YouTube vids (under supervision, of course) because you can't see the viewer comments. I know that my 6 year old won't accidentally see the dark side of the English language.
My iPhone is the only place I feel comfortable letting my kids watch YouTube vids (under supervision, of course) because you can't see the viewer comments. I know that my 6 year old won't accidentally see the dark side of the English language.
Well you can also supervise what apps your 6 year old plays with as well. The iPhone is a grownup's toy.
I think Apple are being overly puritanical here. They need a new policy that makes sense. Currently they are blocking a BUGFIX to the NIN application. The App itself is out.
I can understand some degree of concern - as long as iPod Touches are being sold as Gameboy-a-likes they do have to take some care.
But even family-friendly Nintendo WII has a web-browser which can be used to access adult websites.
I think is a big difference between applications which *contain* unsuitable material and applications which may link to web content which may be unsuitable. If Apple are going to ban the latter, they need to ban Safari, YouTube - and any other App which pulls down stuff from the internet. (as Mr. Reznor pointed out)
If Apple can place reasonable parental safeguards into the iPhone software - it should mean that we grown-ups can do what we want with our iPhones and iPods without these silly restrictions.
My iPhone is the only place I feel comfortable letting my kids watch YouTube vids (under supervision, of course) because you can't see the viewer comments. I know that my 6 year old won't accidentally see the dark side of the English language.
Sorry, but I don't pay $300 for a phone, then $80+/Mo to use it just o be told that I cant see something violent or risque because there is an off chance that a 5 year old may see it...Heres an idea, why not watch the little twits when they are using the computer, my parents did: they may not have understand much of the BBS jargon, they didn't understand HTML tags, but they knew I wasn't seeing porn and making dates with strangers...
And wouldnt it be a shame if a kid read a swear word on the net, I mean they would never hear them on the playground, walkingg through the park with mommy and daddy, or at a ball game!
(for reference, I am 24, been online since I was like 6)
If you must spawn, you must deal with the result and not shift that burden to me.
Just had a brain belch that I would like to add:
When I was young, kids used computers differently, I am startled by the number of kids who do nothing more than play games on cartoon network.com, Nickelodeon.com and so on, when I was coming up, we were tinkering, breaking, fixing, upgrading, writing little scripts to make the machine do what we wanted it to, and such, Idont see kids of today doing that, and that is a sad commonalty on the state of the industry. Or maybe I am just a nerdy outlier...
I'm not so sure that will happen. The platform may be less encumbered by content checking, but it will harder to create an app at the same level of the iPhone SDK. Then there is the issue of how many will get the app. I think that Reznor has to either remove the profanity or wait until v3.0 to come out. Since it's only a couple months away I think he will probably just wait, but they really need to have more consistency between the apps and music they sell with profanity.
Like it or not Children are the market with money (their parents'). NIN fans may not like it but Apple isn't going to risk loosing a massive purchasing base with parents just to make a few of you happy.
As for censorship, please, banning flagrant language in no way is censorship of a message. I get so sick of this argument, it's gotta be one of the dumbest arguments ever conceived.
My iPhone is the only place I feel comfortable letting my kids watch YouTube vids (under supervision, of course) because you can't see the viewer comments. I know that my 6 year old won't accidentally see the dark side of the English language.
3.0 allows you to view comments. You will lose this comfort blanket if you update your phone.
Comments
Why is Apple so obsessed with keeping mature content off the iPhone?
It's not like you can't download your own porn and put it on the phone yourself. They seem obsessed with keeping it squeaky clean for some reason.
That's because Apple and the iPhone (thank you Al Gore) are soo politically and environmentally correct.
I can think of a couple of reasons:
With the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" case appearing again in the news, it could
be that Apple is afraid they will somehow incur obscenity fines from the (majority
reactionary) Federal Communications Commision.
t.
What grounds could the FCC use? the fact that they can use wifi or cell network isnt enough to get FCC content judgement as TV is free to air broadcast, it finds you if you have an antenna and tuner, a cell signal requiers both parties to willingly partisipate, so it would fall under the same rules as Directv or Dish Network I beleive that there was a ruling about adult content on free to air C-Band back in the day, they had to encode it and charge the end user, then they were fine.
Basicly, no matter how loud the whiney jesus freaks scream, the FCC wouldnt be the ones to regulate it if presidence is any indication.
A teenage sexting app would be popular with some, but would risk major backlash from parents and the media. A popular company flush with billions in the bank, Apple has to be careful.
And the same profanity they are preventing in the app is available in the songs the NIИ songs they sell. It's pretty damn silly.
The difference being that iTunes music has a rating system and sophisticated parental controls that the App Store does not yet have.
Good point.
I can think of a couple of reasons:
With the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" case appearing again in the news, it could
be that Apple is afraid they will somehow incur obscenity fines from the (majority
reactionary) Federal Communications Commision.
Even if there is no government action on objectionable applications, there are very well
funded private organizations who make a huge stink if all public media are not suitable
for 8-year-old Sunday school girls. Apple do not want any boycotts or iPhone burning
demonstrations.
The release of parental controls should free Apple from these concerns, to some extent.
But that doesn't explain why they are heavy handed in the rest of the world
The real answer is a 3-part solution: One store section in which all apps are apple certified and monitored for content, anyone can download from this part from thios part, no age or managment controls: a new app store segment of Apple certified apps that are adults only, using the same controls that are in place for R rated movies or Explicit music (but leaving Apple just enough legal leg room to reject crap like Shaken Baby). lastly, we need a more organic, less centrally controlled method to load "wild card" apps, apps that havent been certified by apple...
I could go for something like this...
I'm not so sure that will happen. The platform may be less encumbered by content checking, but it will harder to create an app at the same level of the iPhone SDK. Then there is the issue of how many will get the app. I think that Reznor has to either remove the profanity or wait until v3.0 to come out. Since it's only a couple months away I think he will probably just wait, but they really need to have more consistency between the apps and music they sell with profanity.
The issue is that Parental Controls ARE in place for music but NOT for apps.
Once Parental Controls ARE in place for apps then Apple will sell more explicit content and parents will continue to oblivious to their children's consumption.
However, it won't be Apple's fault at that point.
But that doesn't explain why they are heavy handed in the rest of the world
Apple tries to maintain a "clean" American as apple pie image.
Apple is not trying to keep mature content off the iPhone. They are trying to keep mature content off their servers. It is the same reason you don't find porn videos on iTunes. However, you can find some movies with nudity on iTunes but that because there is a standard rating system for movie content so Apple cannot be assumed liable. There is no standard rating system for software.
Well there is already a well established standard for rating video games(which comprise a bulk of the app store).
eC - Early Childhood - Content suitable for children over the age of 3. These games contain no objectionable material and are intended for a young audience.
E - Everyone - These games are aimed at a broad audience but are suitable for younger children over the age of 5. Minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence may be encountered. Many games receive this rating.
E10+ - Everyone 10 and Over - These games may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence than previous ratings. Mild language and minimal suggestive themes may also be present. This rating is relatively new and was added in early 2005.
T - Teen - The most common rating for video games. The content of these games may be suitable for ages 13 and over and could contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood and infrequent use of strong language.
M - Mature - These titles are intended for ages 17 and over. Intense violence, blood and gore, strong language and sexual content may be present. Many retailers refuse to sell these games to minors.
AO - Adults Only - Aimed at adults over the age of 17 only, these games may include prolonged scenes of violence, graphic sexual content and nudity. In 2005 there are under 20 games with this rating, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas after the Hot Coffee controversy.
RP - Rating Pending - This simply means the ESRB has yet to evaluate the content of the game.
My iPhone is the only place I feel comfortable letting my kids watch YouTube vids (under supervision, of course) because you can't see the viewer comments. I know that my 6 year old won't accidentally see the dark side of the English language.
Well you can also supervise what apps your 6 year old plays with as well. The iPhone is a grownup's toy.
I can understand some degree of concern - as long as iPod Touches are being sold as Gameboy-a-likes they do have to take some care.
But even family-friendly Nintendo WII has a web-browser which can be used to access adult websites.
I think is a big difference between applications which *contain* unsuitable material and applications which may link to web content which may be unsuitable. If Apple are going to ban the latter, they need to ban Safari, YouTube - and any other App which pulls down stuff from the internet. (as Mr. Reznor pointed out)
If Apple can place reasonable parental safeguards into the iPhone software - it should mean that we grown-ups can do what we want with our iPhones and iPods without these silly restrictions.
C.
My iPhone is the only place I feel comfortable letting my kids watch YouTube vids (under supervision, of course) because you can't see the viewer comments. I know that my 6 year old won't accidentally see the dark side of the English language.
Sorry, but I don't pay $300 for a phone, then $80+/Mo to use it just o be told that I cant see something violent or risque because there is an off chance that a 5 year old may see it...Heres an idea, why not watch the little twits when they are using the computer, my parents did: they may not have understand much of the BBS jargon, they didn't understand HTML tags, but they knew I wasn't seeing porn and making dates with strangers...
And wouldnt it be a shame if a kid read a swear word on the net, I mean they would never hear them on the playground, walkingg through the park with mommy and daddy, or at a ball game!
(for reference, I am 24, been online since I was like 6)
If you must spawn, you must deal with the result and not shift that burden to me.
Just had a brain belch that I would like to add:
When I was young, kids used computers differently, I am startled by the number of kids who do nothing more than play games on cartoon network.com, Nickelodeon.com and so on, when I was coming up, we were tinkering, breaking, fixing, upgrading, writing little scripts to make the machine do what we wanted it to, and such, Idont see kids of today doing that, and that is a sad commonalty on the state of the industry. Or maybe I am just a nerdy outlier...
I'm not so sure that will happen. The platform may be less encumbered by content checking, but it will harder to create an app at the same level of the iPhone SDK. Then there is the issue of how many will get the app. I think that Reznor has to either remove the profanity or wait until v3.0 to come out. Since it's only a couple months away I think he will probably just wait, but they really need to have more consistency between the apps and music they sell with profanity.
Like it or not Children are the market with money (their parents'). NIN fans may not like it but Apple isn't going to risk loosing a massive purchasing base with parents just to make a few of you happy.
As for censorship, please, banning flagrant language in no way is censorship of a message. I get so sick of this argument, it's gotta be one of the dumbest arguments ever conceived.
My iPhone is the only place I feel comfortable letting my kids watch YouTube vids (under supervision, of course) because you can't see the viewer comments. I know that my 6 year old won't accidentally see the dark side of the English language.
3.0 allows you to view comments. You will lose this comfort blanket if you update your phone.