

Apple allows transphobic app into the AppStore - AndrewDucker
http://solarbird.livejournal.com/980121.html

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regularfry
In contrast to the typical "outrage" story, it appears that the people
complaining here are actually in the affected community. Good on 'em for
making a noise.

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raganwald
It's obviously an embarassing oversight. Apple the company is extremely
LG(.+)T friendly. The company that would rather turn down tax breaks than
revoke benefits from its Queer employees wouldn't countenance this app. Some
employee has made a mistake, Apple has been informed, the app will be pulled.

There's zero need to shame, picket, or boycott them, there's no evidence that
they have a policy of allowing this kind of thing.

Nothing wrong with polite contact, of course. As mentioned, the app is in
clear violation of the terms of use. I suspect that there's an App Store
reviewer headed for reëducation in an open boxcar even as I write these words.

~~~
mithaler
Um, that's quite the oversight. Seriously, look at it.
[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/peekabootranny/id383095603?mt...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/peekabootranny/id383095603?mt=8)

It was last updated Oct 7; no idea how long before that it existed. They've
had plenty of time to notice this. With that in mind, I can't think of it as
anything other than an endorsement.

Also, not saying you're making this up, but do you have a citation for the tax
breaks over benefits thing? I'd never heard anything about Apple's
Q?LGBT[A-Z]* policy, and I'm curious.

~~~
raganwald
Also, ...

Just because I don't think it's an endorsement and because I think it's an
oversight by a reviewer and not Apple policy doesn't mean I think it's
acceptable. I'm appalled, _especially_ because of my views on Apple's approach
to diversity.

~~~
mithaler
That's fair, but all the same, one really does have to wonder.

I know basically nothing about who actually looks at the apps that get
submitted. Nor do I know anything about what apps typically get _rejected_.
I've never worked with the App Store personally, as a developer or a consumer.
But I understand developers should expect a time period of anywhere between an
hour and two weeks before getting approval, during which presumably a human
looks at it, right?

I just can't imagine any adult of sound mind and typical socialization (and
presumably having gone through training that explained what Apple's internal
policy is toward app approvals) wouldn't realize that that app is offensive.
Thus, the only explanations I can come up with are either a) whoever approved
it genuinely didn't notice its content (possible but highly unprofessional and
careless, to a degree I normally wouldn't expect from a company with Apple's
reputation) or b) Apple's famously stringent approval policy contains nothing
that forbids this content.

Hell, it's possible I'm expecting more stringency from them than actually
exists. Most of my knowledge of the App Store comes from the tech press. But
there's no getting around the fact that _a human looked at this and approved
it_. We are thus in the second scenario you mentioned: someone has seen your
pants and very likely your unbuttoned fly, and the situation has not been
rectified. Consequently, I feel I do have standing to hold Apple accountable
for this, and as you say, more so because of their apparent position in the
past in support of their LGBT employees.

~~~
raganwald
I agree _without reservation_ that Apple is accountable for this. They choose
their employees, they establish policies, they train them, they supervise
them. I was only quibbling about the word "endorse."

More importantly, Apple extracts 30% of the sales of this garbage. It appears
somewhere on an Apple web site. Even if Apple had a policy of allowing _any_
app to appear on their store I would still hold them accountable for reselling
this kind of thing and having it appear under their name on the App Store.

Their guidelines are not on a public server, however Gruber quoted the
guidelines last month:

<http://daringfireball.net/2010/09/app_store_guidelines>

 _We will reject Apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the
line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, “I’ll
know it when I see it”. And we think that you will also know it when you cross
it._

And:

 _Any app that is defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited, or likely to place the
targeted individual or group in harms way will be rejected._

And if neither of those apply:

 _This is a living document, and new apps presenting new questions may result
in new rules at any time. Perhaps your app will trigger this._

I think we're in violent agreement that this app has to go, and go swiftly.

