AppleInsider | Apple creates 'explicit' category for App Store software

> **Though it is not yet in use, Apple has added a category for developers to label their applications as “explicit” software in the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch.** > > A developer revealed to *Cult of Mac* that the new category is [available for selection](http://www.cultofmac.com/is-apple-preparing-to-add-an-explicit-section-to-the-app-store/31418) on the iTunesConnect Web site. However, applications with the “explicit” distinction have not yet appeared in the App Store. > > The change could signal that Apple is preparing to launch an adults-only section of the App Store that would segregate potentially offensive content from the remainder of applications. > > The move follows Apple’s removal of [more than 5,000](http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02/22/apples_overtly_sexual_iphone_crackdown_purges_5000_apps.html) applications the company said were “overtly sexual.” The change in policy came after the company received [numerous complaints](http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02/19/apple_changes_app_store_policy_on_overtly_sexual_content.html) from users who were concerned children would be able to access inappropriate content from the App Store on their iPhone or iPod touch. Whether those applications removed in the last week would be allowed in to the App Store under the new “explicit” category is unknown. I haven’t chimed in on this controversy yet, mostly because I wanted to see how it was going to play out. Personally, I don’t like the idea of Apple censoring all content coming into the App Store, mostly because it’s bound to lead to questionable decisions. There are simply too many gray areas here, as demonstrated by the swimwear app that got removed. Clearly, that was a bad decision, and Apple reversed it quickly. But more problems like that are bound to arise from this policy.

The worst thing Apple could do right now is spook its App Store developers into thinking their apps could be pulled at any minute for any reason. The inconsistency of being approved and then denied is really bad for business.

If it really was parents who complained to Apple that this content was available to their kids, I have to place at least some of the blame for that on parents. Why does your kid have an iPhone in the first place? And if he does, you do have some responsibility to monitor what your kids do with these kinds of devices. There’s nothing in any iPhone app that they can’t easily access from Safari, anyway.

I think simply removing any app with “sexual content” is a futile effort, and not really a good business move for Apple. And Apple seems to be recognizing that with this new “explicit” category that hasn’t been fully implemented yet.

The real problem wasn’t that these apps could be downloaded, since Apple already gives parents a way to lock down the phone’s ability to download certain content. The problem was that all these apps, along with screenshots, were still showing up in the App Store previews, even on parental controlled phones. My guess is that anything flagged as “explicit” will soon not appear at all in the App Store unless you check a “show explicit content” box somewhere. That solves the problem without censoring everyone. But there is still the open question of what makes content explicit. Will a swimwear company be forced to list itself as explicit? Will Sports Illustrated? Seems pretty harsh to me.

My guess is that it was not a few concerned parents, but rather school systems that made this particular demand of Apple. The iPad and iBook store are obviously great opportunities for Apple to rebound further in the education market. Having a simple way to block explicit content would be a compromise to help court schools, as well as textbook makers.

I’m sure it will all be figured out eventually. People forget that this is all new territory for any company. Apple is trying to walk that line of control, which is just in its DNA at this point. Sometimes I appreciate that Apple keeps certain things out of the App Store, like malware and spyware. But there’s a lot more work to be done before all the kinks are worked out.