First iPhone Porn App Released in EU Through Alternative Store
The app, called Hot Tub, bypasses Apple's App Store restrictions under EU's Digital Markets Act, raising safety and regulatory concerns.
- Hot Tub, an adult content browser, is the first pornography app available for iPhones, distributed via the alternative app store AltStore PAL in the EU.
- Apple has criticized the app's availability, stating it undermines user trust and poses safety risks, particularly for children, despite its mandatory notarization process ensuring basic security compliance.
- The app's release was made possible by the EU's Digital Markets Act, which requires Apple to allow third-party app stores, loosening its historical control over app distribution.
- AltStore PAL, funded in part by an Epic Games grant, marketed Hot Tub as 'Apple-approved,' a claim Apple disputes, emphasizing that notarization does not equate to endorsement.
- The app's launch highlights broader tensions between Apple, regulators, and developers over app store policies and the balance between competition and user safety.
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