Apple v. Porn: Steve Jobs Promotes Android as the Alternative for Adult Content

Steve Jobs is the gift that keeps on giving—especially if you’re MiKandi, the porn app marketer/developer that focuses mostly on Android devices. That’s because the iconic iconoclast has a real problem with porn and can't stop saying so, even if it puts him at odds with adult consumers who want to enjoy adult fare on Apple devices without running afoul of the company’s policies.

The Conflict Over Unsigned Applications

For the second time in a month, Jobs has pointed to porn as the problem. Earlier this month, Jobs responded to a question during a live iPhone OS 4.0 event about whether he plans on enabling unsigned applications like Android and Palm OS by telling the questioner, “There’s a porn store for Android. You can download nothing but porn. You can download porn; your kids can download porn. That’s a place we don’t want to go—so we’re not going to go there.” He was, of course, referring to mobile adult app store MiKandi, the owners of which were ecstatic at the news, to say the least.

Direct Consumer Correspondence

Now Jobs has done it again, but this time he was not speaking off-the-cuff but in an email to a consumer complaining about a recent App Store rejection. The consumer, Matthew Browing, wrote Jobs directly, saying, “It appears that more and more Apple is determining for its consumers what content they should be able to receive.” Browing continued, “Apple's role isn't moral police. Apple's role is to design and produce really cool gadgets that do what the consumer wants them to do.”

Jobs’ response once again stressed his intense disinterest and dislike for adult fare on “his” devices. He wrote Browning: “However, we do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy an Android phone.”

Comparison of Platform Stances

• Apple (iPhone): Steve Jobs states the company has a moral responsibility to keep porn off the device and suggests users buy an Android phone if they want adult content.
• Android: Described by Jobs as a place where “you can download nothing but porn,” specifically referencing the presence of mobile adult app stores.
• MiKandi: Focuses on building an app store that treats you like an adult and clear communication with consumers.

Industry Reactions and Critiques

MiKandi responds to Apple’s latest condemnation with obvious and anticipated delight. “We think it’s excellent that there is more clarity from Apple and we’re happy to work with any mobile app developers who are impacted by Apple’s decisions,” said MiKandi president Jesse Adams. “Our developers love that our audience is all 18+ and that we’re clear with consumers about what’s going on.”

According to Q Boyer, director of public relations for Pink Visual/Top Bucks, the recent anti-porn talk from Apple’s leader is not without meaning or significance. Boyer told AVN.com, “I just think it would be nice if Mr. Jobs could state his real reasons for denying Apple customers porn apps, rather than pretending that it has anything to do with an ethical stance on his part.” Boyer might also have been implying that the claim is clearly flawed, especially considering the fact that people can access porn through browsers using the Safari icon on their mobile device.