Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Why did Apple email porn to this man?

Published Oct 24th, 2014 8:30AM EDT
Apple App Store Porn App
Image: Apple Inc.

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Apple’s stance on porn in iOS apps is well-known, and such in-app content is likely to get an application rejected from the App Store until the developer addresses it. Even facilitating access to porn may be a good reason for Apple to prevent an application from reaching the App Store. In fact, a developer of one app that could offer users a way to access adult content has been contacted by Apple on the matter in an unexpected, explicit, and shocking way.

FROM EARLIER: Why Apple Pay is ‘more safe and secure than using your credit card’

“It was a typical Monday morning,” Carl Smith said on Medium. “Cup of coffee and catching up with the team when I saw this snippet of a conversation in HipChat: ‘Don’t be naughty like Apple!’”

“When I asked how Apple was naughty, one of our developers said, ‘they sent us a picture of a guy masturbating.’”

That’s definitely an unexpected way of telling developers their apps are violating Apple’s no-porn rule.

“It turns out Apple thought the best way to tell us our app could be used to surf porn was to surf for porn using our app,” Smith added. “Then send us some pictures and say take a look at these! Except they said, ‘Please see the attached screenshot for more information.’ So with no warning… CLICK — Well hello there handsome!”

Smith is not happy with Apple’s handling of the matter, which is why he thoroughly explained the situation in a blog post. The developer said that he would fire an employee who would send out porn to a partner in such a manner.

“But when Apple sends porn you can’t fire them without changing your entire business model. They are in a position of power,” Smith added. “So as an employer my choice is to not work with Apple and by default fire all of the iOS devs. Or do nothing and hope it doesn’t happen again. At which point I have now made a statement to my employees that Apple is allowed to send us porn because they are the gatekeepers to our prosperity. Neither of these choices are acceptable.”

The full article and the image Apple sent as an example (censored, as Apple probably should have done) are available at the source link below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.