FILE PHOTO: On February 3, an app platform AltStore introduced a new app as “the world’s 1st Apple-approved porn app.”
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The story so far: On February 3, an app platform AltStore introduced a new app as “the world’s 1st Apple-approved porn app.” The new pornography app and the way it was cheekily advertised has reignited a long-time feud between iPhone-maker Apple and the game-maker Epic. Though Apple does not allow pornography apps on App Store, users in the European Union can still download this particular adult app on their iPhones. That’s because of the bloc’s anti-competitive policy that allows non-Apple app marketplaces to offer their own line-up of products to Apple customers. Previously, they could only download apps from the App Store.
Which app is causing the problem?
‘Hot Tub’ app is at the centre of this new discontent between Epic Games and Apple. The adult content browser app provides its users privacy and security without sending ads or tracking their location. Rated for users aged 18 and above, the is available for download through the AltStore PAL—an open source, alternative app marketplace in the EU.
AltStore enjoys financial support from Epic Games, per AP. The Fortnite videogame maker’s founder and CEO Tim Sweeney is a strong critic of Apple as the iPhone maker collects 30% commission from app developers that charge their users for in-app purchases. In 2020, Epic sued Apple on antitrust grounds in the U.S. and the two companies faced off in court for more than a couple years.
Meanwhile, in the EU, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) sought to foster competition by making Apple let its iOS and iPadOS users install apps from alternative app marketplaces or even from an authorised developer’s website. Apple was reluctant to allow this.
What is Apple saying about the matter?
Apple is deeply unhappy about the recent developments. The iPhone-maker stressed that AltStore’s statement about the porn app being “Apple approved” was false, and that it would never offer Hot Tub through its own App Store, per AP. “The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety,” Apple was quoted as saying.
The iPhone-maker also expressed concern for children’s safety in the EU due to the presence of the porn app. Apple has in the past raised concerns about the security risks of opening up its app marketplace ecosystem to rivals, but the process is not a free-for-all. Instead, Apple has a review mechanism called “notarization” to ensure that all apps from diverse distribution channels meet fundamental accuracy, functionality, safety, security, and privacy standards. However, Apple warned that “even with these safeguards in place, many risks remain.”
AltStore, in turn, claimed that Hot Tub was indeed “approved” by Apple since it passed the tech company’s notarization process and was not rejected. “To be perfectly clear, Apple has not endorsed Hot Tub in any way. However, they did approve it,” said AltStore in an X post on February 5. AltStore further noted that users will have to add Hot Tub’s source (URL) to make it appear in the AltStore PAL marketplace, meaning that people who do not wish to see the porn app cannot stumble across it by accident.
What is Epic’s argument?
Epic Games’ Sweeney has lashed out against Apple’s statement, claiming that it is false and calling the company “extremely disingenuous.” In an X thread on February 4, Mr. Sweeney raised the counter-argument that Apple did indeed allow “hardcore” pornography by hosting other apps with adult content or pornography—such as Reddit—on its own official app store.
“So, if this Hot Tub app available through AltStore continued to host its current porn, and also added lots of non-porn content, the. Apple’s App Store terms would welcome it. And if they treated it like Reddit, they’d even give it a 17+ (!!!) rating and Editors Choice Award,” Sweeney posted.
Separately, the CEO claimed that the Epic Games Store for PC and mobile did not host any porn apps.
What is the EU’s stance?
The EU calls the DMA “one of the centrepieces of the European digital strategy” to maintain fair competition among businesses in the region by identifying tech behemoths, or “gatekeepers” such as Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft, and holding them accountable. The DMA is meant to protect consumer choices and level the playing field by making sure gatekeepers do not abuse their dominance in the marketplace.
On the flip side, the availability of a native pornography app on iPhones and iPads in the EU raises serious questions. For one, it bring up the issue of not just who offers apps to Apple product users, but also what type of apps these marketplaces host.
That being said, many social media users were quick to point out that an Apple customer trying to watch pornography could simply open up the company’s Safari browser and start typing away, with or without the DMA.
Published – February 08, 2025 12:27 pm IST
