Apple Tightens Adult Standards in App Store Again

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple continues to tighten its standard for what constitutes adult content in the iPhone App Store.

The latest round of regulation involves an app called Wobble, which lets users add "wobble" points to any photo they have in their iPhone library. The chief end of this app — to make breasts shake — was so obvious that the app's developers focused on that perk in a promotional video.

But after approving the app, the brass at Apple want it cleaned up. They've asked the team behind Wobble to remove all references to "boobs" and "booty" from their marketing text.

Wobble developer Jon Atherton took exception to this, writing online that he personally found many other uses of these red-flag words, although not in the App Store but in its corporate neighbor, iTunes.

"Doing a search for 'boobs' in iTunes returns 143 results — many of them marked explicit, a search for 'booty' returns 150 items," he said. "Not surprisingly, Wobble appears at the top of the list in both search terms." Wobble has been burning up the charts in other ways, too, having reached the top spot in the Japanese version of the App Store.

Atherton added that Apple declined to explain why the standards for the App Store and iTunes are different. Apple maintains laxer standards in iTunes. Apple's terms of service do not prohibit adult content, instead warning users that they may encounter objectionable material.

In addition, the iTunes store applies an "explicit" tag to adults-only content, and adult writer Violet Blue maintains a podcast called "Open Source Sex" that's available though the iTunes podcast directory. On the flip side, Apple has rejected an iPhone app, an electronic book in this case, that used the word "fuck" in a sexual context.

Tech analyst Jason Kincaid said that Apple's policies might change in the future.

The ban on 'sexy' words isn’t particularly surprising given how new the App Store is," he wrote for TechCrunch.com. "Apple is still experimenting with new policies. For months it didn’t allow any ‘burp’ or ‘fart’ apps, which have grown to become disturbingly popular, and it only recently began allowing for developers to build their own web browsers. But the store has a rating system for a reason, and the arbitrary restrictions are tough on developers, who are left wondering what they’re allowed to write about and what they can show."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Show More