Tumblr, the App Store, and Porn

“Sreegs”, a former iOS engineer at Tumblr, on Tumblr’s recent problems trying to comply with the App Store’s ban on pornographic content:

Let me be clear about this from the get-go: I think Apple’s censorship policies are wrong and they have no grounds to be policing adult content within apps on the app store. Apple’s power to set content policy over apps is absolutely fueled first and foremost by internal policy that goes back to Steve Jobs. After that, they’re beholden to payment processors wanting to distance themselves from porn. Finally, there’s lawmakers and policy that influence them as well. I think these are the 3 things that shape their policy decisions, in order.

I get the “no grounds” thing from a free speech and consenting adults perspective. But right there in the same paragraph, he lists several grounds: payment processors are distancing themselves from porn, and lawmakers are threatening to regulate app stores.

But the obvious grounds for these policies is brand. Apple’s brand is firmly distant from porn. You might think that’s prudish or outdated, but it’s not your brand. Among major cruise lines, all but one have casinos on each ship. The exception: Disney. It’s perfectly legal; Disney just doesn’t want their brand associated with gambling. For similar reasons, Apple is going to err on the side of overzealousness with porn in the App Store. You can get all the porno you want on the web on iOS devices.

(Sreegs’s post is mostly about frustrations with the App Store review process in general, not Tumblr specifically, and is worth reading.)

★ Tuesday, 28 December 2021