Ustream circumventing App Store anti-porn rules?
updated 10:15 am EST, Fri January 23, 2009
Ustream avoids porn rule
A new application is circumventing Apple's anti-pornography restrictions at the iTunes App Store, claims the New York Daily News. The Ustream application, recently released on iTunes, is said to have hosted at least one adult video stream following its launch, in which a woman teased a live chat audience without actually undressing on-camera. The stream appeared to be promoting another website.
Rules for the App Store forbid pornographic content, and Apple is typically extremely strict in enforcement, barring apps which include suggestive content regardless of whether or not it is the main focus. The company has not typically had to deal with apps capable of streaming live user content, however, and the app is merely a mirror of the Ustream website, which does not distinguish adult streams from any other.
so
01/23, 10:27am reply
I guess with the FCC under Bush's presidency, the word "p***" now can refer to pictures of clothed people. Interesting.
And, of course, if you're going to report this, I think it must be mentioned that Safari also breaks the rules on p***, because you can actually surf to several adult web sites and view explicit (and I mean EXPLICIT!) pictures.
Apple needs to shut Safari down now!
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Mail.app too
01/23, 12:10pm reply
Don't forget Mail, with all that p*** spam you get.
clith
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2000
no
01/23, 12:28pm reply
PG-13 is NOT p***.
dliup
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2006
Stupid
01/23, 12:48pm reply
This is a dumb "story". I agree completely with Testudo, p*** on the iPhone is old hat. There are a plethora of websites that specialize in delivering p*** to iPhones through Safari, I could stream p*** to myself through OrbLive if I wanted; in short there are many ways for me to consume p*** on the iPhone. This has circumvented nothing at all. This is a tempest in a teapot, and hardly newsworthy.
WiseWeasel
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 1999
Tease
01/25, 06:06am reply
Like people have said, how can a fully dressed woman be considered p***? You Americans really are getting unbelievable in your prudish views - maybe the Burkha would be a good idea for the US, then there would be no possibility for dirty p***.
rytc
Mac Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2001
nudity
01/25, 10:37am reply
the 'defense' here is that the actor reamins fully clothed in the teaser clip, and presumably its an advert for real p***.
I don't like that argument, it somehow suggests nudity is p***, and that is simply untrue.
So I agree, definately, that the anti-p*** measure is rather silly and not thought out. Better to identify content and allow people to not accidentally run into a website that they cannot handle, than to simply ban it for everyone.
We definately do not want to ban all nudity or think of it as pornography. Men used to cover their chests too, nowadays you can go to the beach without a t-shirt on...lets not go backwards, please.
Jonathan-Tanya
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 2004