Easter Eggs on iPhone Unlock Potential for Porn, Trouble

CUPERTINO, Calif. — After all of the hoopla surrounding Apple's notorious policing of the cybersphere surrounding its iPhone, it turns out there's an easy way for adult developers to sneak porn onto it: Easter eggs.

Easter eggs — secret options and goodies that programmers conceal inside their own programs — go back about as far as computers go, including the old Atari 2600, which saw the first video-game Easter egg on an old cartridge called "Adventure."

In the case of "Adventure," the game's beleaguered developer hid his name inside a secret room, but in the case of the iPhone, developers are using Easter eggs to smuggle porn and profanity into their iPhone apps.

For the uninitiated, the iPhone lets users download and install small applications, including web browsers, calculators and video games, among many others, but since the device's launch, Apple chieftain Steve Jobs has roundly rejected the idea of adult apps.

That hasn't stopped developers from exploring the boundaries of adult, but if a programmer wants to deliver outright XXX to the iPhone, they've had to build apps for the device's black market.

But Wired's Brian X. Chen pointed out that because Apple doesn't closely examine an app's source code, developers can easily sneak whatever they want through Apple's front gates.

For example, developer Jelle Prins built an app that displays lyrics from a user's song library, but because the app would, by definition, display the cuss words from certain songs, Apple rejected the app. Prins rebuilt the app with a bad-words filter, and Apple accepted it.

Unbeknownst to Apple, however, Prins hid an Easter egg in his app that lets users reveal the profane lyrics in their songs. The app is called Lyrics, and the directions for unlocking the Easter egg are listed on Wired.com.

Tech pundits have been criticizing the Apple App Store's rejection policy as inconsistent almost since it launched, but there's a darker side to this, too. Author Jonathan Zdziarski wrote a book called "iPhone Forensics: Recovering Evidence, Personal Data, and Corporate Assets," and he noted that although it would be difficult to build a Trojan horse using the iPhone's development platform, unsavory programmers could exploit the device's photo camera, audio recording mike or contacts list for their own nefarious ends.

“It’s not impossible to write code that looks innocent and acts innocent until you throw some kind of switch,” Zdziarski said. “It’s not hard to get that sort of thing past Apple…. It’s the equivalent of a doctor using a magnifying glass to try and find germs.”

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

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

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.

Show More