Got a tip for us? Share it...
• • RSS

More iPhone App Controversy with Alleged Underaged Nudity

Thursday July 2, 2009 12:23 pm PDT by Arnold Kim
Wired reports on the latest high profile app removal from the App Store related to nudity. This time, a free app called BeautyMeter was removed due to an inappropriate image of a nude minor.

The photo ... depicts a photo of a nude girl snapping a photo of her reflection in a mirror. In the screenshot, the girl, who is listed as a 15-year-old from the United States

BeautyMeter is an app that functions similarly to Hot or Not and allows users to upload their own photos to be rated by others. The developers of the application do not review each uploaded photo, so there appears to be no particular filter for content. They do claim that each photo is tagged with each iPhone's unique ID so that illegal content can be traced back to the owner of the phone, however.

Apple has not commented, but the app has been pulled from the App Store. According a lawyer cited in the article, neither Apple nor the developers are likely liable for the content:

Funnymals and Apple will probably not be held liable for the content because they would be protected by the Communications Decency Act, according to Mark Rasch, a lawyer and founder of computer security consulting firm Secure IT Experts. That's because when Apple approved the app, it did not contain the prohibited content. Instead, the app downloads images off the internet, thus placing the responsibility on the people who use the app

[ 64 comments ]

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

Avatar
TuffLuffJimmy
34 months ago
you spelled beauty wrong in the app description.

And it's too bad Apple will let this through, but pulls the plug on NetShare.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
arn
34 months ago

you spelled beauty wrong in the app description.

And it's too bad Apple will let this through, but pulls the plug on NetShare.


well, apple did let both through and then pulled the plug on both. :)

arn
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
TuffLuffJimmy
34 months ago

well, apple did let both through and then pulled the plug on both. :)

arn


That's true. It just seems like the process, as many have pointed out, is a little out of whack.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
Compile 'em all
34 months ago
With the review process being a freakin black box with no clear guidelines these stories will continue. According to Ethan Nicolas the dev of iShoot, Apple have been sitting on his app for close to 2 effing months. The avg. approval for updates is now 20 days. WTF!!
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
dscuber9000
34 months ago
I'm confused. Isn't there a blanket ban on nudity on the iPhone App Store? Or with the new app rating system, is nudity allowed and this app was only pulled because it had a minor in it?

You would think Apple would have a blanket ban on nudity to avoid bad publicity. Who puts porn on their phone, anyway? You take it to public places!
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
ltldrummerboy
34 months ago
Morals and laws aside, it seems like bad business for Apple to let apps like these in. Between the risk of incidents like this and right-wing outrage I would think they'd just deny all "raunchy" apps.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
branjosef
34 months ago
Yet nothing about the girl's role in posting a nude photo of herself to the app. Oh that's right she cant possibly be blamed because she is a minor and therefore exempt from any level of responsibility for her actions.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
g00dbye
34 months ago
Pics or it didn't happen.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
Drumjim85
34 months ago

Pics or it didn't happen.


the linked article in the story has a picture.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
TurboSC
34 months ago
knowing you have an app with user submitted content, why wouldn't someone review it before it went online... that's just beyond stupid on the developers part.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives

[ Read All Comments ]