Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 11 August 2008 13:50
Your IT -
Mobility
Page 2 of 3
Of course there’d be absolute outrage if Apple tried that tactic, and hackers would go into absolute overdrive. Such an event would surely be a turning point for Apple, changing its perception from “cool” to “evil corporation” in the blink of a flick of a kill switch.
So... it seems unlikely that Apple would go down the re-pwn path anytime soon. Or kill unauthorised third party apps. But it seemingly could.
As for inadvertent releases of “malicious” software, just how much checking is Apple doing for apps on the App Store?
Well, from what we’ve seen so far, not much.
After all, how do you explain the removal of Box Office, NetShare, I Am Rich and now Slasher?
Slasher?
Reseller News
explains that Slasher is a “horror” app – one that shows a picture of a knife and plays a “horror” sound when one makes a “stabbing” motion with the iPhone.
According to the app’s
developer, the slightly unfortunately named “Josef W. Wankerl”, “Slasher has been removed from the App Store based on section 3.3.12 of the iPhone SDK agreement covering objectionable content.”
Wankerl quotes Apple’s SDK agreement, saying: “3.3.12 Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple's reasonable judgment may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.”
He then explains: “So what this essentially means is that a picture of a knife is deemed offensive and/or objectionable. (I don't see how it could be pornographic, obscene, or defamatory.) Ridiculous."
Wankerl continues: "Why do toy stores sell plastic knives to children if they would be so “objectionable”? And if I don't like another App Store developer, all I have to do is complain that their app offends me and Apple will pull the plug on them?”
Please read on to page 3.
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