Steve Jobs would be rolling over at what the iPhone has become (18+)

In 2010, then-CEO Steve Jobs said that keeping adult content off the iPhone was Apple's "moral responsibility". Fast-forward some 15 years, things are a bit different!

Apple has raised concerns about a new adult content app available on iPhones in the European Union, arguing that the region's digital policies are eroding consumer trust in its platform.

As you know (if you're on iOS), Apple has strictly controlled which apps can be downloaded through its App Store. When the store launched in 2008, the company positioned itself as a gatekeeper, with then-CEO Steve Jobs emphasizing in 2010 that restricting explicit content was of utmost importance.

However, Apple's ability to enforce such policies changed after the EU adopted the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in 2022, which requires Apple to support alternative app stores.

One of these third-party marketplaces, AltStore, has begun distributing an app called Hot Tub, which promotes itself as a private and secure way to browse adult content.

Apple strongly opposed this development, stating that apps of this nature could pose safety risks to users, particularly minors. The company is worried that these offerings would weaken consumer trust in its ecosystem.

AltStore has reportedly received financial backing from Epic Games, the company behind the popular video game Fortnite, which has been engaged in legal battles with Apple over antitrust issues. Epic Games' funding allegedly helped AltStore cover fees imposed by Apple on third-party app marketplaces, a practice currently under investigation by EU regulators.

Although Apple was required to permit the app's distribution under EU regulations, it still applied a baseline security review known as "notarization". This process checks for potential cybersecurity threats such as malware but does not involve evaluating an app's content.

Following Apple’s notarization of Hot Tub, AltStore publicly described it as "the world's first Apple-approved adult content app". Apple swiftly rejected this claim, stating that it does not approve of the app and would never allow it in its own App Store. The company clarified that it was obligated by the European Commission to permit the app's existence, despite its objections.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney weighed in on the controversy, defending the DMA and arguing that Apple had long used its position as a gatekeeper to suppress competition. He emphasized that while his company had supported laws that opened the iPhone to competing app stores, the Epic Games Store itself does not carry Hot Tub or any similar content.

What a mess, huh?