Apple Faces Backlash Over EU-Mandated iPhone Porn App
The Digital Markets Act forces Apple to allow third-party app stores, leading to the launch of the first adult content app, Hot Tub, on iOS devices in Europe.
- Hot Tub, described as an 'adult content browser,' launched on February 3 through the AltStore PAL, an alternative app store available in the European Union.
- Apple has strongly opposed the app, citing safety concerns for users, particularly children, and emphasizing that it does not approve or endorse the app.
- The Digital Markets Act, a European Union competition law, requires Apple to allow third-party app stores on iOS, bypassing Apple's usual strict app approval process.
- Hot Tub includes content from popular adult sites like Pornhub and XHamster, with Apple highlighting the inclusion of a 'teen' channel as particularly troubling.
- Epic Games, a funder of AltStore PAL, defended the app's presence, accusing Apple of using safety concerns as a pretext to maintain its monopoly and contrasting Apple's stance with its approval of apps like Reddit.
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