Apple's new rule for the iPhone app store: "no skin!"

Filed under: Business, Apple, iPhone

When Apple pulled a selection of apps featuring scantily clad women and other sexy themes from the app store late last week, it wasn't quite clear whether there was a new policy in place, or if the wanton deletion of apps bare flesh was just the crazy whim of some employee. Well, a couple of days and a whopping 5,000(!!!) removed apps later, we have an answer.

When I say "we," I don't mean developers and app store customers generally, I mean one particular developer who asked Apple what was going on and got a detailed response. And when I say "an answer," I mean a list of policies that were articulated by an Apple representative to that one developer, not a new list of rules published in the official developer documentation.

Bearing all that in mind, here's what we know. Apple gave the developers of Wobble -- that totally tasteful app that makes any part of a photo jiggle when you shake your phone -- the following list of guidelines about sexually provocative content in the app store (the commentary in parentheses is from the developers):

1. No images of women in bikinis (Ice skating tights are not OK either)

2. No images of men in bikinis! (I didn't ask about Ice Skating tights for men)

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Apple's new rule for the iPhone app store: "no skin!" originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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