A technicality had previously given the impression that Apple approved of a porn app being made available to iPhone users in the EU via a third-party app store.
That lead to some misleading headlines, but Apple has now solved the problem by changing three words in the email sent to developers …
The porn app controversy
The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) last year required Apple to allow third-party app stores on the iPhone, and the company begrudgingly complied – though did its best to deter iPhone owners from using them, and made the installation process as clunky as possible.
One of Apple’s stated objections was that it would no longer be able to keep certain types of apps off the platform, with pornography one of the categories the company has always rejected.
Apple retained the right to vet apps for safety before they were cleared to be made available in third-party stores, and it did this with the porn-browsing app Hot Tub. AltStore subsequently said that Apple “approved” the app for inclusion.
This was technically true, because once Apple has found that an app’s code is compliant with security and privacy requirements, the developer was sent an email saying so. The wording of that email said that it was “approved” for release.
The following app has been approved for distribution
Apple was quick to note that this did not mean that it approved of the app.
Contrary to the false statements made by the marketplace developer, we certainly do not approve of this app and would never offer it in our App Store. The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety.
Apple has now changed three words
AltStore’s Riley Testut has now shared a change of wording by Apple.
Before: The following app has been approved for distribution
Now: The following app is now ready for distribution
Looks like Apple changed the wording of Notarization emails to no longer say “approved,” wonder what caused that!
As John Gruber notes, this is a clever way to handle it, the meaning clear to developers while “in no way conveying approval.”
Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash
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