Censor: "To keep from being published or transmitted: ban, black out, hush (up), stifle, suppress. Idioms: keep/put a lid on"

Do you want to try again with that "Apple is not censoring something, they're banning it"? I remember a goofy debate with someone on slashdot too about this, who seemed to insist that censorship only applies when performed by a government. But it's quite obvious that censorship can come in many forms.

Clearly, some of Apple's customers are minors. Many iPhones end up in high school, and these are very legitimate customers. However, just as there is an allowance for iTunes, and control over explicit content, there should be similar control in place for the App Store. Obviously, since there wasn't one initially, Apple had to arbitrarily pull the plug on stuff that would have otherwise been accessible by adults only.

I'm sure one of the subsequent versions of App Store will institute some rating siystem.

Careful with your list of banned apps. Tris wasn't banned by Apple. The Tetris people tossed a C&D at the Tris author so he pulled it. Not Apple. I've seen two articles on MacNN today that both say Apple banned it, which is not the case.

I don't like the banning thing. I'm unfamiliar with this app. I guess the question I have is this: If an app came out that say gave you a daily 15 second clip of pornography, do you ban it? As another person said, there is no rating system for the app store. Who would be responsible if a 13 year old kid was spotted watch this clip? Apple, ATT, the iPhone owner? Somewhere someone needs to decide what is appropriate and what is not. Some people say s** is natural so it'd be fine, some take offense and think it's evil, others just don't want kids to see it. We are familiar with movie ratings, TV ratings are now pretty normal, video games come with ratings, and you can't browse through a skin mag at the grocery store.

So who is the gatekeeper? Right now the only group that can be is Apple. The issue is not that an app has been banned, the issue people are having is that "Apple" has a closed system and "they" have control. Even if Apple creates and independent group to decide what's a go and a no go, what would keep a parent from suing Apple regardless.

And to you who think Apple is "forcing" their, or more specifically, "Steve's" sense of right and wrong you might want to step back for a minute. Apple will ban any app that might get them in a lawsuit or impact the bottom line in some other way. You want to make a statement, great, start a business, make a million and then put it all on the line for your personal beliefs, of course you won't have any stockholders, at least not on the open market.

If Apple just started banning apps b/c say M$ made it, or they didn't like a comment some app author made on the news about this or that, then, then I would have a problem and probably boycott the app store, but as it stands right now, Apple hasn't banned anything that a majority wouldn't see as reasonable.

If this is being censored as one commenter noted, to keep the iTunes store "family friendly", why then are you not calling for the removal of all R rated movies from the iTunes store? There is quite obviously a double standard in place.

The rating argument is stupid, on the same note Apple would have to ban the whole internet. I think its the distribution model in the app that is the culprit, sooner or later Apple will offer digital books via iTunes and they don't want competition on there own device. Store the comics online and there won't be a problem. Now we have to wait for Apple to bring us the bigger 'comic book iPod' and books in iTunes, the next revolution.

Apple's music has "explicit" labels on it (but not all music with a "dirty" word is marked explicit - and some albums are marked explicit because there might be a naughty word in some song). And you can be sure there are rap songs marked 'clean' but still talk of murder and mayhem (I use rap because everyone does - h***, Eric Clapton sung about shooting a sheriff 30 years ago).

Podcasts may or may not have such labels. Movies have ratings. Everything else does, so why not apps? Or did Apple think no one would dare make an app that might offend someone.

Just put it on a freaking website and look at it through Safari. WHAT THE h*** IS THE BIG DEAL. Besides, this is the whole problem with one company being the source for all software on a platform. Anyway this whole thing is just retarded. RETARDED. Get a life.

for once using some sensible censorship till you can implement a fair and working rating system. I get sick whenever I am confronted with something related to blood especially violence. for whatever reason, my beliefs in non-violence and hatred is not only a preference but a mental state. I actually would prefer that such sites / magazines and publications are not easily available to users.

The publishers of this "comic" book ( which it is not as comic relates to comedy and this book appears to be about murder / tragedy) should look at making a web app or iphone compatible pages so that people with express interest would visit the pages and people who do not want to will keep away and also be excused from seeing the name "Murderdrome" every time they start App Store in iTunes or iPhone.

Appreciate the effort Apple.

Want it or not, Apple will be playing safe by banning any content that could bring Apple under fire. I don't believe for a second there are developers who hadn't a clue what kind of content Apple might ban - this would require tremendous level of ignorance and lack of common sense. You may risk creating soft that may raise questions, but if risking you may also lose. Risking gives you an edge over competitors who are playing safe, so please don't whine if you got banned. That was your choice.

what it deems offensive. I don't want Apple to be attacked by churches or angry parents or anything. Keep the App Store PG-13 or whatever. I think that Apple should provide some alternative to get adult content on an iPhone, but not from the App Store. Let them give some sort of license to stores to carry every type of offensive stuff imaginable so that that it would be easily downloaded to the iPhone.

Since it's Apple's site, they should decide on whatever they want to appear. I don't understand why people always feel they're being cheated by Apple. I agree that those comics seem pretty tame to me, but then again so do adult s** acts and bondage. Apple has to draw the line somewhere. Even though I can't think of anything perverse enough to upset me, I'd prefer the App Store maintain a family type atmosphere.

I'm asking honestly, do other mobile platform stores allow any type of content to be downloaded to devices? Do they even allow child pornography and g** s**? I'm curious about how Amazon with the Kindle decides what type of content is allowed. This is a very interesting topic.

Apple is not banning this app. Apple is not censoring this app. They are choosing not to sell it.

Apple is not banning this app. Apple is not censoring this app. They are choosing not to sell it.

Technically, since Apple is the only means to procure this app, they are technically banning it. The tricky part is Apple being the sole-source provider. It isn't like a local bookstore not selling "The DaVinci Code", since you have other options to buy it.

And I would think that censorship (the way most people perceive it, at least) would apply if they modified the app to prevent certain words/scenes/images/sound from being heard, or removed it, or asked/demanded it be removed.

I don't like where this is going... Does Apple ban Applications with religious references? if not why not? how about political views? I don't think Apple should tell me how to use my iPhone. I've paid for my bandwidth, my airtime, and the iPhone. I should be able to use it how I see fit.

I don't like where this is going... Does Apple ban Applications with religious references? if not why not? how about political views? I don't think Apple should tell me how to use my iPhone. I've paid for my bandwidth, my airtime, and the iPhone. I should be able to use it how I see fit.

Regardless on whether or not you think it's censorship...I think this open letter to Steve Jobs that I saw is...really good.
http://jeremyricketts.com/dear-mr-jobs/