Apple's App Store Dilemma: EU's Digital Policy Sparks Controversy

Apple criticized a new pornography app on iPhones in the EU, claiming it undermines consumer trust. The app, Hot Tub, gained entry through AltStore, one of the alternative app stores allowed by the Digital Markets Act. Apple emphasizes this move jeopardizes safety and confidence in its ecosystem.

Apple on Monday took aim at a pornography app newly available on iPhones in the European Union, accusing the bloc's digital policy of eroding consumer trust in Apple.

Since its App Store debut in 2008, Apple has been stringent about app approvals, with former CEO Steve Jobs highlighting Apple's responsibility to exclude porn from iPhones. This changed with the EU's 2022 Digital Markets Act mandating Apple to accommodate alternative app stores. Subsequently, AltStore began distributing Hot Tub, an app positioned as a secure method to access adult content, despite Apple's disapproval.

Expressing concern, Apple warned that apps of this type pose safety risks, notably for minors, and damage consumer confidence. AltStore, funded partly by Epic Games, which has challenged Apple on antitrust grounds, claims it paid EU-probed fees and noted that the app passed Apple's baseline cybersecurity review, stirring further dispute over app distribution regulations.

(With inputs from agencies.)