Baby Shakergate: Apple officially sorry

'Deeply offensive' content banned, all world's woes vanish

Posted in Mobile, 24th April 2009 13:44 GMT

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In a statement Apple has apologised for allowing Baby Shaker into the iTunes store, on the basis that "deeply offensive" content shouldn't be allowed.

The short statement, sent to every news outlet except El Reg, reads: "This application was deeply offensive and should not have been approved for distribution on the App Store." So now we know that such content will hereafter not be allowed on iTunes.

We've already pointed out that levels of offence are largely subjective, but Apple has now appointed itself arbitrator of what is just in poor taste and what is actually "deeply offensive". We look forward to the Internet Watch Foundation referring to Cupertino when faced with difficult decisions about such things.

Apple has pulled applications for being too violent, featuring drawings of bouncing breasts, interfering with network operators' business models, and now for being "deeply offensive" - all on the basis of a hidden rulebook that, it seems, is based on the amount of negative publicity each decision generates. ®

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