A display of iPhone 16 handsets in an Apple Inc store in central London, UK. The company is publicising the porn app to showcase its view that the EU’s rules could harm Apple customers in the region. — Bloomberg
Apple Inc lambasted the EU’s Digital Markets Act after the first known porn app for the iPhone arrived on the company’s devices in the region.
The app, called Hot Tub, is available in the EU via AltStore PAL, a third-party software marketplace that became available in the region due to local requirements. The app allows users to search for and view pornographic video from multiple online sources.
The developer of Hot Tub has marketed the app as Apple approved – an assertion the company said is a lie. Apps on third-party stores in the EU are reviewed by Apple for malware and device compatibility, but are not endorsed for quality or functionality, according to the company’s regulations for developers.
“We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world.”
The company spokesperson said Apple doesn’t approve of the app and “would never offer it” in its official App Store. “The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety.”
The company is publicising the porn app to showcase its view that the EU’s rules could harm Apple customers in the region. Apple said it told the European Commission about its concerns in December and said the regulatory body didn’t express opposition.
The AltStore has received an investment from Epic Games Inc, a longtime Apple foe that has fought Apple in court in multiple countries over App Store rules and fees. Epic also offers a third-party store of its own for iPhones in the EU.
A representative for Epic didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
From the beginning of the App Store in 2008, Apple executives have banned porn from its platform. Critics of Apple’s decision point out that there are movies with nudity on the iTunes Movies store and that the iPhone’s Safari browser can access porn websites. – Bloomberg
