Banned iPhone Apps: 15 Most Outrageous Rejected Apps (PHOTOS)

Just today, Apple seems to have revamped its App Store's policy on 'overtly sexual content,' and has begun removing some adult apps.

The Cupertino company has repeatedly come under fire for what developers say is a murky and ambiguous app approval process--and the latest change will no doubt fan the flames.

In light of these new changes, we've taken a look at the most outrageous App Store rejects from years past. Whether too sexy, too profane, too offensive, or too partisan, these apps just couldn't make the cut.

So how does Apple decide what's in and what's out? Apple specifies in its Software Development Kit (SDK) that "Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple's reasonable judgment may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users."

Check out these banned apps below, and vote on which ones you think should (and shouldn't) have been allowed.

BeautyMeter

BeautyMeter, a free app, was originally intended for users to rate the face, body, and clothes of users who uploaded photographs. There was no way to prevent nudity, since neither Apple nor the app's creators could manage every single photo uploaded to BeautyMeter. But when a partially nude image of a 15-year-old user turned up on the app, iTunes pulled the plug.

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Comments

[MiKandi]

03:57 PM on 03/02/2010

In lieu of Apple's decision to remove 'overtly sexual apps', we've received an influx of new developers registering on MiKandi, and many more have expressed their interest to port their recently banned apps over to Android (can't wait to see all the goodies!).

I know this may be frustrating for developers and users alike, but we applaud Apple's efforts to be more clear with their policy regarding sexual content. In fact, we'd like to thank them! After all, Vegas wouldn't feel like Vegas, if we didn't have Disneyland for a comparison.

-MiKandi

[BrissaJordan]

11:14 AM on 02/24/2010

OMG, some of those look so fun, and some are soooo sick! ..."Slasher" lol

[DRaymond]

02:44 PM on 02/23/2010

Apple touts how many apps there are for the iPhone, but if this is a sample of how usefull most of them are, is that anything to brag about?

It also points out why I hate closed monopolistic systems like Apple's. Certainly apple has the right to choose what it wants to sell, but in the process it also chooses what I have the abiltiy to buy or sell. If Apple rejects my iPhone app, can I set up my own web site and sell it myself? Even if I meet the standard of Apple's censors if I think that the percentage that Apple takes of my sale price is too high and I would rather sell it through another channel can I? No.

[MiKandi]

12:00 AM on 03/02/2010

We couldn't agree more! If Apple opened up, it would probably alleviate a lot of frustration from iPhone users and developers who love the phone but hate the policies.

[ipad apps]

03:12 AM on 02/23/2010

http://ipad-apps.me/questions/77/letter-to-apple-let-us-have-some-fun-with-the-adult-apps

Dear Apple,

We are a collection of poor Americans, who have been jobless for the
last two years. We can barely afford a trip and all the fun we have is
to look at hot girls, aka adult apps, on our tiny iPhone screen. We
are hoping big for the iPad. The apps on iPad are poised to change the
way people interact with the real world.

But here is the rub: we are unable to use these apps with iPad because
the iPad lacks something... (What, you mean iPad doesn't have a
screen? I can watch adult stuff even with my black and white tv, but
not with this $499 iPad? Now I know why iPads are worse than stones
... )

[ClassicLeft]

11:13 AM on 02/21/2010

Apple 1 x 0 Free Speech

[floodmfx]

08:37 AM on 02/21/2010

are they that bad?

[cbvani]

03:16 AM on 02/21/2010

Apple will make the same mistakes all over again, alienate the software developers, and this time it will be google, not windows, who makes the crucial move into the widening market.

[archeDeWashington]

02:58 AM on 02/21/2010

Please save my people. Iphone is a weapon against my people

www.okongo.org/please_save_my_people.html

www.okongo.org

Thanks

[plooger]

02:16 AM on 02/21/2010

Wow, and everyone thought "Big Brother" was going to be the gubmint.

[Madbunny]

12:41 AM on 02/21/2010

Looks like Apple has their own little Mutawadeen department.

[RobinSeattle]

07:45 PM on 02/20/2010

The war on fun continues.

And how come feminists aren't upset that their bodies are considered dirty by Apple?

[Vurz]

04:10 PM on 02/20/2010

Most of the apps remind me of the old "stripper" pens and drink glasses they used to sell on the back pages of men's magazines. I always wondered who the people were that bought them.

[BannedInBoston]

04:06 PM on 02/20/2010

Reason #666 for not owning an iPhone. I refuse to let someone else be the judge of my content.

[jonathanu]

01:29 PM on 02/20/2010

While these apps are largely tasteless, inappropriate, and offensive, I think Apple is being a way too nannyish in it's control over what apps are available, especially in the case of the politically-related apps. How about doing some kind of age verification for apps with questionable material, and leaving it at that?

The biggest concern that I have with the iPhone and Apple in general is how closed the platform is. It seems that in most cases, for example, it is significantly more difficult to obtain and install non-approved apps for the platform, since you can't go through Apple's highly-integrated App Store. Apple can make it extremely difficult for any competitors or software it does not like, for example, Adobe flash.

[DavidWyld]

10:14 AM on 02/20/2010

And so that's why AT&T is having all the bandwidth problems - technology does breed creativity!

David