Yesterday Apple abruptly removed the mega-popular 500px from the iTunes App store today citing the fact that users can search for photos that feature nudity.
I caught up with 500px CEO and co-founder Oleg Gutsol for a comment:
“Apple’s problem with the app is essentially that it was too easy to find nude photos by using the search function of the app. That functionality has been there since the beginning of our development of the app. This functionality previously has been something you had to explicitly enable “show nude content” on you account online. But that was not strict enough for Apple. They voiced concern earlier – so we created the opt in feature – but then Monday night things changed. We’re working with them on it and I’m it will be fixed soon. The result will be that no nude content will be searchable on the iOS platform. Android apps will stay the same. Google has not expressed concerns.” – Oleg Gutsol
The 500px app has amassed nearly 1 million downloads over the past 16 months and 80M page views per day.
Ironically, Oleg was on an important episode of chasejarvisLIVE last year: The Evolution of Your Creative Rights with the ASMP and Larry Lessig. We’re sending Oleg and his team the best of luck. Sounds like they have it under control.
I would think Apple would have to pull a lot more than just 500px, if they are so concerned about nudity they would need to restrict access to the Internet. Why make a stupid and insignificant move when the real prom ken isn’t the application. They would need to pull Facebook, and all the other social networks apps on their site.
Where is the logic?
The chance to see some artistic nudes, or at least attempts at it, on a site like 500px rather than going to the internet for hard core porn (and beyond) should be seen as a good thing, not something to be discouraged.
Apple run a closed shop and decide what they sell, thats fair enough. They make foolproof products by deciding what you can or can’t do on their devices, that’s fair enough. As a consumer you can vote with your wallet, that’s fair enough.
Here are the facts:
The app had a +4 rating which apple defines as “Apps in this category contain no objectionable material.” Did 500px honor this rating? No.
Also, they shouldn’t have been surprised. The review right on their iTunes page lists a complaint about nudity. I think if the app was properly rated Apple should put the app back up.
http://i.imgur.com/GESYvRs.jpg