Benton Barnett

Recently, Apple removed a handful of sex themed application from the iPhone app store. They removed, as far as I can tell, all low quality apps that exploited women. ‘Low quality’ in that last sentence should be implied by the fact that the application were exploiting women, specifically bikini clad women.

Gruber posits that this move is about branding:

But, still, Apple sees the App Store as an extension of the Apple brand. That’s why flat-out pornography has never been and never will be allowed. You can walk into a Barnes and Noble and buy a copy of Maxim, but you won’t find a copy of Hustler. Not because Hustler wouldn’t sell, but because selling pornography goes against the Barnes and Noble brand.

I think what Apple was getting squeamish about wasn’t the sexy apps themselves, but the cheesiness that the sexy apps (and their prominence in best selling lists) was bestowing upon the general feel and vibe of the App Store. One thing I wasn’t aware of before the recent crackdown was the degree to which these apps were seeping into various non-entertainment categories. E.g., like half the “new” apps in the “productivity” category featured imagery of large-breasted bikini-clad women.

I agree, this is about image. Using sex to sell your application isn’t in line with Apple’s branding. Low quality software also isn’t in line with Apple’s branding. Neven Mrgan explains:

The most popular section of The App Store is the Top 25, and other Top Lists. [...] Unless Apple significantly betrays what the word “Top” means in this context, they’re powerless to stop the influx of crass, experience-cheapening apps into these invaluable portals.

And I bet that bugs them. A lot. These days, when Apple’s aesthetically-minded, Disney-friendly thinkers visit their shiny new playground, they see a whole lot of dead grass, rusted swings, sharps and used condoms. They’re acting as impulsively as they are because it drives them crazy.

Personally, I’m glad. Those applications cheapened the experience. They showed that scammy, unless apps exist and put them right up front in an attention grabbing way. It has nothing to do with the content, these apps were pure novelty. I feel like the app store should have stricter quality control and this is a step in the right direction.

The real issue here is that people have no other way to get application onto their iPhones. This is the tricky part, Apple needs to allow people to put unapproved apps onto their phone. I may not want jiggly boobs on my phone, but I’m sure there are people that are. I don’t want to create applications that only shows bikini clad women but there very clearly are people who want to do this and they should be allowed to. It should just stay out of the app store and be put somewhere else, preferably next to the fart apps.