05 February 2025 , 19:51
379
0
A pornography app is now available to all iPhones in the EU after a rule change.
AltStore PAL, which is an alternative to Apple’s App Store, is now free to access because of newly introduced European competition laws.
This means users can download adult content browser Hot Tub, which they have dubbed ‘the world’s first Apple-approved porn app’ – despite the App Store not allowing porn.
Apple rejected that description and hit back at AltStore, saying it would never allow such an app on its own App Store.
They said: ‘We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids.
‘This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world.
‘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.’
AltStore hit back at Apple in a further statement of its own, saying it was ‘not true’ that it had made ‘false statements about the approval of Hot Tub’.
‘All apps distributed with AltStore PAL must be submitted to Apple for “notarisation”,’ it said in a post on its social media channels.
‘Unlike macOS, iOS notarisation involves a human-review process where Apple employees manually review apps before they are “approved” or “rejected” for distribution (in Apple’s own words).
‘Unfortunately, Apple has rejected several apps from our store in the past for dubious reasons, so the phrase “Apple-approved” in our marketing is a reference to the fact that Hot Tub was approved, not rejected, by Apple for notarisation.
‘To be perfectly clear, Apple has not endorsed Hot Tub in any way. However, they did approve it.’