Censorship by Apple

Censorship by Apple refers to Apple Inc.'s removal or omission of information from its services or subsidiaries, such as the iTunes Store, in order to comply with its company policies, legal demands, or various government censorship laws.

iTunes Books

The iBooks description for Moby-Dick censored sperm whale as of April 2010.[1]

According to The Daily Telegraph, four erotic books, including Blonde and Wet, the Complete Story, were allegedly removed from the top 10 chart on July 26, 2010.[2]

iTunes Music

Song censorship

There is a policy of censoring profanity in song titles on iTunes.[3] This has resulted in a Scunthorpe glitch, by which inoffensive titles are censored due to a coincidental string of letters.[4]

If the song has an explicit label, it will be marked "explicit" next to the song title. If a song is marked "explicit" it is unavailable for purchase if "restrict explicit content" is checked under the parental controls preference. Often there will be a "clean" mark next to the title of some songs, meaning the lyrics have been censored, and is available to purchase on all accounts. Generally if a song is marked "clean" there is an explicit version available as well.

iTunes App Store

Newspaper and magazine content

In May 2009, Apple rejected the first version of 'Newspapers', an iPhone app that let users read content from 50+ newspapers around the world, including the New York Times, France's Le Monde, and the United Kingdom tabloid The Sun. The app was rejected because the topless "Page 3" girls daily features were described as "obscene". A second version of the application was submitted, removing access to The Sun, and adding a price tag of £0.59. The app was made available in the summer, after the release of the iPhone 3.0 software.[5][6] Another application, of similar nature to 'Newspapers', called 'Eucalyptus' allowed users to download e-books to their iPhone, though was rejected by Apple because one of the e-books that could have been downloaded was the Kama Sutra. The ban has since been lifted.[7]

"We do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone ... Folks who want porn can buy an Android phone"
— Steve Jobs[8]
"We can’t adapt European magazines to the standards of Utah."
— Mathias Müller von Blumencron (editor of Der Spiegel, warning that the news magazine would not alter its content for the App Store)[9]

The App Store has Playboy and Sports Illustrated adult-rated apps that have yet to be removed, while some apps by others were removed citing adult content which has resulted in accusations of hypocrisy. Despite this, adult sites continue to market for iPhone and iPad users.[10][11][12][13] In November 2009, the application of Stern (a mainstream German weekly magazine with a print circulation of about 900,000) was deleted for several weeks without warning.[9][14] In January 2010, Europe's largest newspaper, German tabloid Bild, removed content from the iPhone version of its print edition at the request of Apple, and later it had to modify one of its applications - like in the Stern case because of nudity.[15] The Association of German Magazine Publishers (VDZ) warned that with such interventions Apple might be moving towards censorship.[15]

November 26, 2010, an informational magazine about Google's OS from the Danish publisher Mediaprovider wasn't allowed in the app store.[16]

The Guardian described rejection of explicit content by Apple as analogous to that of the distributor WH Smith, a main distributor which for many years imposed content restrictions on British publishers. Workers at the fashion magazine Dazed & Confused have nicknamed their iPad edition the "Iran edition".[8]

Pulitzer Prize winning cartoons

In December 2009, Apple banned a cartoon app called NewsToons by cartoonist Mark Fiore, on the grounds that it "ridiculed public figures."[17][18] In April 2010, Fiore won the Pulitzer prize for his political satire cartoons, making history as the very first internet-only cartoonist to win the prestigious journalistic prize.[17][18][19] Following public outcry after the story broke in the wake of the award, Apple asked Fiore to resubmit his app, and it was subsequently accepted. Fiore said, "Sure, mine might get approved, but what about someone who hasn’t won a Pulitzer and who is maybe making a better political app than mine? Do you need some media frenzy to get an app approved that has political material?"[18]

Baby Shaker

In April 2009, a game called Baby Shaker was approved for the App Store then later removed due to complaints. The game allowed the user to shake their phone until an image of a cartoon baby on the screen died.[20]

Nine Inch Nails

In May 2009, Trent Reznor of the rock band Nine Inch Nails announced, via his Twitter account, that Apple had rejected an update to the Nine Inch Nails application due to "objectionable content".[21] The developer posted a message on the Nine Inch Nails discussion boards explaining the situation further:
"v1.0 is live. v1.0.3 got rejected due to content yet the app has no content in it. This was mainly a stability release to fix the bug that crashes the app for international users. The bug was fixed 24 hours after 1.0 went live and we have been waiting for Apple to approve it ever since. Meanwhile the app continues to get a growing number of 1 star ratings from international users understandably frustrated by the bug."
"But looks like our hands are tied".[22]
Apple later permitted the update.[23]

Phone Story

In 2011, Apple banned a game called Phone Story that explored the ethical challenges of smartphone manufacturing, including conflict minerals, environmental waste, and troubled labor practices.[24] The game was eventually published on the web by its creator Molleindustria.

Drone Strike Alert

In August 2012, Josh Begley created an iPhone app that sent out a push notification whenever a U.S. military UAV struck a target. The app was rejected because of Apple finding the content "objectionable and crude."[25]

Utilities

On March 11, 2013, HiddenApps was approved and appeared in the App Store. This App provided access to developer diagnostic menus, allowed for stock Apps to be hidden and enabled an opt-out feature for iAds, Apple's developer driven advertisement system.[26]

Educational app

In July 2013, a tech education startup called Treehouse claimed that Apple had refused to let them release an iOS app that contained lessons about Android.[27]

Papers, Please

Award-winning PC game Papers, Please, centered around the operation of an immigration checkpoint in a socialist country, was brought to iPad in December 2014, but developer Lucas Pope was forced to remove some pixellated nudity from the game's full body scanner from the PC version to be allowed to release the game for Apple devices.[28] After a few days, Pope was permitted to upload a full version of the game to the App Store including pixellated nudity in an apparent reversal by Apple.[28]

France Musique app removal

On May 4, 2015, Apple removed the France Musique application from its App store due to the airing of "inappropriate content" in a podcast.[29] The application displayed a painting by Édouard Manet, Olympia, depicting mild nudity. The podcast application was submitted to the App Store again, with a 17+ rating.[30]

Chaos Computer Club videos about security vulnerabilities

In October 2015, Apple rejected a custom streaming application for Apple TV that was created by some members of the Frankfurt branch of Chaos Computer Club, Europe's largest hacker association. The application was meant to show recordings of talks from Chaos Computer Club's conferences. According to a blog post that was written about the incident, Apple's reason was because "some of the videos show how to hack Apple devices".[31] The recordings are publicly available and are hosted on YouTube as well. Using the YouTube app still allows playback of the content on Apple devices.

Binding of Isaac

Apple banned the award-winning video game the Binding of Isaac from appearing in the iOS App Store due to its cartoon depictions of violence towards children.[32]

Apple Watch

In March 2016, Apple rejected to update the app AddReminder for Apple Watch because of its keyboard despite excellent reviews and unanimous user feedback that the keyboard was easy to use. The developer wrote an open letter[33] to Apple.

References

  1. ↑ Apple iBooks Censors 'Sperm'?
  2. ↑ Blake, Heidi (June 27, 2010). "Apple accused of censorship after porn disappears from iPad book chart". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  3. ↑ The songs that are too rude for iTunes, Michael Cragg, The Guardian October 27, 2008 . Retrieved October 27, 2008.
  4. ↑ iTunes glitch censors song titles, Friday 24 October 2008
  5. ↑ "The Sun's 'obscene' Page 3 girls get iPhone newspaper app banned by Apple". London: Guardian. May 6, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  6. ↑ Sherwood, James (May 5, 2009). "Apple bans Page 3 from iPhone app". Reghardware.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 26, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  7. ↑ Logged in as click here to log out (May 24, 2009). "Apple backtracks over ban on ebook application Eucalyptus | Technology | guardian.co.uk". London: Guardian. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  8. 1 2 Jack Schofield (May 10, 2010). "Wikipedia's porn purge, and cleaning up for the iPad". The Guardian.
  9. 1 2 Pfanner, Eric (March 14, 2010). "Publishers Question Apple’s Rejection of Nudity". NYTimes.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  10. ↑ MG Siegler (February 23, 2010). "Apple, There’s Pornography On My iPhone. The App Is Called Safari. You Made It.". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Gay iPorn - IPhone ready site".
  12. ↑ Kincaid, Jason (February 20, 2010). "The New App Store Rules: No Swimsuits, No Skin, And No Innuendo". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  13. ↑ Charles "Zan" Christensen (May 24, 2010). "iPad Publishing No Savior for Small Press, LGBT Comics Creators". Prism Comics. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  14. ↑ Goebel, Markus (March 29, 2010). "Europe’s biggest publisher embraces the WePad". Techcrunch. Archived from the original on April 14, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  15. 1 2 Mercedes Bunz: German publisher in row with Apple over pin-ups in iPhone app The Guardian, March 9, 2010
  16. ↑ http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/11/26/apple-bans-android-magazine-app/
  17. 1 2 Paul, Ian (April 16, 2010). "Apple Rejects Pulitzer Prize Winner's App". PC World. Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  18. 1 2 3 Stelter, Brian (April 16, 2010). "A Pulitzer Winner Gets Apple’s Reconsideration". New York Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Slashdot Apple Story | Apple Blocks Cartoonist From App Store". Slashdot. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Baby Shaker Game Causes Outrage | BBC". BBC News. April 24, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  21. ↑ trent_reznor. "Trent Reznor (trent_reznor) on Twitter". Twitter.com. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  22. ↑ "NIN iPhone app rejection". Forum.nin.com. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Apple Allows NIN App Update". Uk.i4u.com. May 11, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  24. ↑ Dredge, Stuart (September 14, 2011). "Apple bans satirical iPhone game Phone Story from its App Store". The Guardian. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Apple bans ‘drone strike’ app". Infosecurity Magazine. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  26. ↑ "HiddenApps Allows iAds Opt-Out Without Jailbreak". akufu.com. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  27. ↑ http://thenextweb.com/apps/2013/07/25/tech-education-startup-treehouse-branches-out-to-the-ipad/
  28. 1 2 Pope, Lucas. "Apple forces nude immigrants to cover up in iPad version of Papers, Please". Ars Technica. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Apple a depublié l'appli @francemusique pour cause de contenus adultes". Twitter. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Censurée par Apple, France Musique va classer " + de 17 ans " son application En savoir plus sur http://www.lemonde.fr/musiques/article/2015/05/07/censuree-par-apple-france-musique-va-classer-de-17-ans-son-application_4629685_1654986.html". Le Monde. Retrieved May 16, 2015. External link in |title= (help)
  31. ↑ Shaw, Peter (31 October 2015). "Apple verbietet Inhalte vom Chaos Computer Club auf ihrer Plattform". Unthoughted Blog. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  32. ↑ Grubb, Jeff (7 February 2016). "Apple’s gaming censorship continues: The Binding of Isaac blocked from App Store". VentureBeat. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  33. ↑ http://www.swinova.com/addreminder/rejected.php

See also

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