22 February 2010
Mon Feb 22, 2010
So Apple is banning “adult” apps from the iPhone store. It’s of course been all over the blogisphere, twittered about and debated. But I guess the thing that strikes me is this: they are choosing not to distribute that content. It’s not that you can’t choose to have an adult app on your phone: you can. It’s only that Apple doesn’t want a hand in distributing them through their own shop.
I know people are up in arms about it, but to me the issue has nothing to do with censorship or hypocrisy or anything else. It is a simple issue: their store is their store, not a public utility, and as such they have the right to decide what they carry, what their brand is like, and so on. To suggest otherwise is offensive to me.
I know I’ve mentioned that in the past couple of years, I opened a retail shop. As the owner of said shop, I get to decide what goes in it. It’s all about what I want my store to project, what I want it to look like, who I want to appeal to. If someone came in here and told me I HAD to carry what they manufactured simply because I had a venue, I would be incensed.
I know there is inevitably going to be an argument about Apple having too much of a lock on what you have on your phone, but come on, this is the internet, people! You can find anything! If anything it is an opportunity for someone to start a website that just sells adult apps. (Well, actually a simple search already yielded me one result – it’s already being done.) Apple didn’t make the apps not work, they merely stopped distributing them through their own store. While I may personally think that there is nothing offensive about nudity, and there is about other apps they sell, that is beside the point. I can take my app business elsewhere. Freedom goes both ways.
February 24th, 2010 at 1:11 am
I was one of those people huffing and puffing to myself about Apple’s decision. You have made me re-think my views. Well said.
February 24th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
You’re absolutely right: it’s a business’s prerogative to sell what it chooses. Do I think it’s good business strategy? Maybe not, but I also don’t know their app business model. Apple clearly has its reasons.
At the same time, it’s absolutely proper for customers to be vocal about their wishes. Since we ultimately determine whether Apple is successful or not, it’s okay to tell them when we think they’ve made a crappy decision. Any business that acts in a way that’s dramatically opposed to our desires or values (whatever they are) should hear from us, and if they don’t listen, eventually stop getting our money. This is going to sound pretty cynical, but in this day and age our consumer choices may actually be the most powerful votes we cast.
But I have a crappy LG flip phone, so I guess it’s easy for me to say.
February 24th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
I absolutely agree that customers should be vocal about what they want – what I was reacting to was the comments and postings acting as if this is censorship. If it was censorship, they’d disable apps they find objectionable, not just refuse to make money from them.
I think people should look at this as a potential business opportunity. If Apple doesn’t want to make money selling “adult” apps, then someone else (or several someones) can fill the void. If adults apps are as popular as portrayed, it shouldn’t be a problem.
February 24th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Oh, I am with you there. It’s definitely not censorship. And everyone should just work harder to develop and distribute better, dirtier apps! :)