the American giant says it is strongly opposed to the distribution of a pornographic application. MAXPPP – Yui Mok
The famous apple brand strongly criticizes the European Commission which is pushing it to authorize within the EU a pornography application within its App Store, which is the store allowing applications to be downloaded onto one's device.
Apple on Monday criticized the European Commission for “forcing” it to allow the distribution in the European Union (EU) of a pornography application via an alternative to its App Store, and said it was “concerned about the security risks […] particularly for children.”
The service, called Hot Tub, allows users to search for and watch pornographic videos from multiple online sources. It is available in the EU via AltStore PAL, a mobile app store.
The iPhone maker has long fought against the possibility of downloading apps other than through its “App Store”, but it had to give in in Europe because of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into force last year to combat abuses of dominant position by tech giants.
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“We are deeply concerned about the security risks that hardcore pornography apps of this type create for users in the EU, particularly children,”, a spokesperson said in a statement provided to AFP. He clarified that “contrary to the false claims” made by Hot Tub, Apple “absolutely does not endorse this app”. “The truth is that the European Commission is forcing us to allow its distribution by app stores like AltStore and Epic, which may not share our concerns about user safety.”
Many companies, led by the publisher of the video game Fortnite, Epic Games, accuse Apple of taking advantage of its “monopoly” on iOS, the mobile operating system of the brand's smartphones and tablets, to impose commissions that they consider exorbitant on user purchases.
The entry into force of the DMA is a victory for these companies.
Accounting to be verified
In the EU, Apple now checks the compatibility with iOS of applications available on AltStore (or other alternative stores) as well as the absence of malware, but has no say in their quality or the contents.
The Californian group said it had notified the European Commission in December about Hot Tub, and assured that it had not opposed the application.
At the end of 2023, the site Pornhub.com was indicted in the United States for facilitating illegal financial transactions, linked to human trafficking, for the purposes of sexual exploitation. “This application and others of its kind will undermine consumer confidence in our ecosystem”, believes Apple. AltStore is partly financed by Epic Games, which did not immediately respond to a request from AFP.