Looks like Steve Jobs and Hugh Hefner are sharing lots of love, but independent app developers like the creators of iBoob are getting the boot from the Apple app store.
In a not-so-surprising but once again, confusing move, Apple has removed thousands of applications from the Apple app store. According to Apple, the apps were inappropriate and contained degrading or objectionable content.
Okay, we have to admit, iBoobs is pretty silly. After all, you got to jiggle around a pair of breasts (clothed) when you move around your iPhone. It is downright juvenile, but the app makes as much sense as the Playboy and Sports Illustrated apps. Sure, there are other content to be found in Playboy and Sports Illustrated, but it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the apps are doing well because of the images of the scantily clad girls.
Still, the bottom line is that Apple has got the full control of the app store and what they say goes. While many people might protest the obvious bias on app retention and removal policies, at the end of the day, people will not be abandoning their iPhones simply because they will not be able to jiggle a pair with it. Market wise, Apple has nothing to worry about.
For application developers however, this is where the lines get blurry. Obviously, there are some pretty obvious sell-out applications that just border on the plain obscene in order to make a profit. Not really the kind of thing you would want to see, but it is there. On the other hand, there are honest to goodness apps that simply want to give users some fun.
If Playboy had an AR application that lets you check out various strip clubs and their rates, would Apple ban it?
Read more about the large scale app ban by Apple on Know Your Mobile.
Tags: Apple-iPhone