Over 5000 apps stricken from the Apple app store, new rules in place

By Satish |

Friday, February 26, 2010

Over 5000 apps stricken from the Apple app store, new rules in place   Things just got a lot more wholesome in Apple's app store as a boat load of apps were just banned, and new rules for future apps have been put into place. Bring on the lynch mob! Just the other day an Apple developer was ticked when his app, Wobble iBoobs, was pulled from the app store without warning. The app didn't contain any questionable content; all it did was modify potentially salacious images and that was enough for Apple to cut it loose. The makers of the app spoke with Apple, and although the latter is notorious for doing things on a whim without an explanation, it actually laid down some new rules for third-party applications (and some that applied specifically to Wobble). No images of women in bikinis (Ice skating tights are not OK either) No images of men in bikinis! (I didn't ask about Ice Skating tights for men) No skin (he seriously said this) (I asked if a Burqa was OK, and the Apple guy got angry) No silhouettes that indicate that Wobble can be used for wobbling boobs (yes – I am serious, we have to remove the silhouette in this pic) No sexual connotations or innuendo: boobs, babes, booty, sex – all banned Nothing that can be sexually arousing!! (I doubt many people could get aroused with the pic above but those puritanical guys at Apple must get off on pretty mundane things to find Wobble "overtly sexual!) No apps will be approved that in any way imply sexual content (not sure how Playboy is still in the store, but …) There you have it. Apple is coming out and saying, "We'll have none of this, that, this and that and some more of that." It's too bad we all can't be adults about this, or enjoy somewhat adult content on our iPhones, but there's always the jailbreaking route.