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Apple has been at the centre of a scandal after the first officially available porn app appeared on the iPhones of users in the European Union. The Hot Tub app was included in the AltStore, an alternative app store made possible by new EU digital regulations. In response, Apple harshly criticised the decision, saying it was forced to allow it under pressure from the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This was reported by Reuters.
Is Apple’s control undermined?
Since 2008, Apple has had a monopoly on the distribution of applications through its own App Store, which allowed it to tightly control content. Back in 2010, the company’s founder Steve Jobs emphasised that Apple had a “moral responsibility” to prevent porn from being allowed on its devices.
However, with the adoption of the DMA, the company was forced to allow alternative app stores to operate in the EU. One of these stores was AltStore, which received financial support from Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite and a critic of Apple’s policies.
It was through the AltStore that the Hot Tub app became available, which bills itself as a “safe and private way to watch adult content”. Apple reacted with indignation:
“We would never allow this on our App Store. But the truth is that the European Commission has obliged us to allow it,” the company said in an official statement.
How did this become possible?
Although Apple does not formally control the content in alternative stores, it requires a notarisation procedure – a basic check of applications for malware. Hot Tub passed this check, after which the AltStore announced that Apple had “approved a porn app for the first time”. This prompted a strong reaction from the company, which demanded a review of EU regulatory requirements.
EU and competition response
Meanwhile, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that his company supports the DMA law because Apple has been abusing its status as an application “controller” for years. Sweeney also stressed that the Epic Games store in the EU has never had and will never have such content.
In the current situation, Apple is losing its monopoly over its ecosystem environment, and new EU rules are opening the way for alternative stores. At the same time, the company fears a loss of user trust, as such apps could create reputational risks for the iPhone.
Time will tell whether Apple will be able to revise its digital regulation policy in Europe.
