Apple, which has always stood by its word of not allowing any kind of porn screening on its devices, seems to have relented from the stand. This is in view of the consent given to Cinemax app. Through this app, users can download movies and watch them on the device. Several softporn movies are already available in the app. This consent is being seen as a major retraction from the strong stand that Apple always had against porn screening.
Although the advantages of the app are many and users can use Apple devices to download latest movies, it also makes it possible for users for use it for watching porn. This may pose a violation of Apple’s policy to keep porn away from the store. This app, called Cinemax Max Go app offers access to videos and movies as per the user’s requirements. The subscriber’s of cable channel can avail this facility. The problem with the app is the inclusion Max After Dark feature. With this features, users can download soft porn from the channel’s programming. Owing to this feature, Cinemax has been dubbed Skinemax. There is no question about the fact that the app is going to bring in porn into app store, something that Apple has always opposed.
Some of the requirements of the app directly point towards the inclusion of adult stuff. One of the disclosures reads that a person has to be seventeen years old or more in order to use the app. Specific words included are “frequent/intense sexual content or nudity”. Parental controls are essential for download. All these features signify that adult content is inevitable in Apple app store. The app will be available on iPhones and iPads.
Despite the consent that has been provide to Cinemax Max Go app, the terms and conditions of Apple store strictly prohibit entry of porn of any kind. Terms specifically point to the phrase “pornographic material of any kind” and refuse them entry into the store. Terms also state that the content has to be “aesthetic and stimulate emotional feelings” instead of display of nudity and sexual arousal. The consent to the app is even more ironic because Apple has previously rejected content from Kamasutra that was included in the app store by Project Gutenberg. Apps have been banned owing to display or partial or explicit nudity.
As of now, there has been no official word from Apple about the inclusion of this debatable app. Steve Jobs has accepted that the company has moral obligations but has not specifically mentioned this app.