App Store considering "explicit" option

By Robert Purchese Published 25 February, 2010

But it won't appear "any time soon".

Apple's considering offering an "explicit" category to developers using the App Store

This appeared briefly after the purge of all titillating content on the App Store. But no sooner had Gizmodo been alerted to the "explicit" option than Apple had removed it.

In response, Apple said the "explicit" category was something being thought about but that it would "not happen any time soon".

Apple wiped the App Store clean of any smutty and even remotely risque content earlier this week, stating that the interests of kids and parents had to come first.

Maybe there's been some backlash.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kangarootoo #1 2 years ago

    Well its good that are considering it.... though maybe they just realised that 10% of their content was some how related to jiggling titties (as the late Bill Hicks might put it).

  • harzo #2 2 years ago

    Jiggling titties is not explicit, seems perfectly natural and acceptable to me! :D

  • miiiguel #3 2 years ago

    Bad taste works both ways mr. Apple.
    Edited by miiiguel at 25/02/10 @ 11:38

  • Jackface #4 2 years ago

    miiguel, what do you mean?

  • Sunyavadin #5 2 years ago

    They'd be idiots not to.

  • 00.00.01 #6 2 years ago

    What an anal attitude.

  • miiiguel #7 2 years ago

    @Jack: some of the "jiggling" content I'd, no doubt, file it under "bad taste" and it can go away, but going all champion of families and kids likewise.

  • Moribundman #8 2 years ago

    Uh huhuhuhu. "Come first"... HeheheHEhehehe.

  • Moribundman #9 2 years ago

    Can't wait for pr0n to invade Natal and 3DTV ;-)

  • SpaceMonkey77 #10 2 years ago

    They shouldn't be considering, they should just be doing. Its a no brainer.

    I hear a lot of the comics industry is excited about getting their content on Apple services, especially iPad. However this will all be shot to crap without an explicit category. I've heard a story of one comic being denied a presence on iTunes, because its was a bit too racy, a month or two ago.

    Comics aren't as tame as many think these days, so I guess its good timing, to attach some kind of ratings, that podcasts and audio books currently get.

  • kincaide #11 2 years ago

    Does this mean DOA:Blackjack is no longer available?

    It's not all bad news then

  • actionfitz #12 2 years ago

    "Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak
    Somewhere in this town
    See me and the boys we don't like it
    So were getting up and going down
    Hiding low looking right to left
    If you see us coming I think it's best
    To move away do you hear what I say
    From under my breath
    Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak
    Somewhere in the town
    Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak
    So don't you be around
    Don't you be around
    Tonight there's gonna be trouble
    Some of us won't survive
    See the boys and me we mean business
    Bustin' out dead or alive..."
    etc

  • kangarootoo #13 2 years ago

    "Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak
    Somewhere in this town"

    Somewhere in this town?

    As countless stand up comedians have suggested, in the jail perhaps?

  • Nighthaunter #14 2 years ago

    They didn't get rid of all of it, just the low budget stuff.

  • jonbwfc #15 2 years ago

    Surely the point is an 'explicit' tag won't be any use. It'll be like all the others, it'll actually encourage some people to download the stuff even more. It's not a prohibition, it's a useful shortcut...

  • Windypops #16 2 years ago

    It will always remain a mystery to me how the videogaming world (including this site) regards tits as the most offensive thing in the world, yet shooting things repeatedly in the face is fine. Or at least 8 out of 10.

    It probably got said more eloquently in the other thread, but hell, IT BEARS REPEATING.

  • TrevSkyline #17 2 years ago

    iPhone is for adults so there naturally SHOULD be an option for adult only Apps.
    Edited by TrevSkyline at 25/02/10 @ 19:34

  • hilts #18 2 years ago

    True but you will not believe the amount of times I have seen children playing with daddys phone!

  • JohnnyWashnGo #19 2 years ago

    They need a digital top shelf.

  • Les #20 2 years ago

    "It will always remain a mystery to me how the videogaming world (including this site) regards tits as the most offensive thing in the world, yet shooting things repeatedly in the face is fine. Or at least 8 out of 10."

    Deeply rooted in Christian culture. Original sin and other such bullshit. People have always feared sex as it's probably the thing that most clearly shows we're not that special.

    In most violent games the things being shot in the face clearly deserved it. Humans are rather tolerant towards violence as long as it's being performed towards outsiders.

    Makes no rational sense what so ever. But then again, assuming human conduct to be rational is a bit silly.

  • IneptPercy #21 2 years ago

    why not let the people have some iboobs on the move?

  • Visnes #22 2 years ago

    @hilts The iPhone is bought by more kids then you might think. At least here in Norway. But then again, tits aren't that much of a problem here either, so nobody would care.

  • fatboy996 #23 2 years ago

    @hilts, that's just stupid, you might as well say kids should not use pc's and consoles as both can be used to see smut.

  • ArcMonkey #24 2 years ago

    True but you will not believe the amount of times I have seen children playing with daddys phone!

    Has it ever occurred to anyone that it may be a responsibility of the PARENT and not APPLE what peoples' kids play/look at on the internet?