Apple has been very strict about implementing their on the spot censoring policies and have been clearing out a lot of apps from the Apple App Store. This stream of spring cleaning measures range from the truly obvious (like indecent or offensive apps) to duplicate template apps. Do not name your app “Pad” either, because that will be kicked out or vetoed too.

Thing is, some people are starting to take notice of the bulk of apps missing from the store. This is the case with Matthew Browing, a long time Apple user and customer. He said he was “starting to have a philosophical issue with the company” since the company was set on telling customers which are suitable for purchase and which are not. He was wondering as to why Mark Fiore’s comic software app was removed because it was a political satire and also why apps determined to be porn are removed outright. This is an excerpt from Matthew’s letter:

“I’m all for keeping porn out of kids hands. Heck – I’m all for ensuring that I don’t have to see it unless I want to. But… that’s what parent al controls are for. Put these types of apps into categories and allow them to be blocked by their parents should they want to. Apple’s role isn’t moral police – Apple’s role is to design and produce really cool gadgets that do what the consumer wants them to do.”

A response came from Steve Jobs’ public address saying the following:

“Fiore’s app will be in the store shortly. That was a mistake. However, we do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy an Android phone.”

Google is the opposite of Apple when it comes to screening apps and this is evident in the number of adult apps invading the Android Market. To find out more about Apple’s move to clean up its App Store you can read the latest mobile phone news at Moby1. They are a great place to find out information on the latest Apple news and a good place to compare phone deals from UK retailers. They are also a good place to look for the latest Android phones such as Sony Ericsson X10 deals.