Steve Jobs Recommends Android Phones for Porn

April 20, 2010 By Ryan Fleming

In response to growing concern over censorship on Apple's iPhone and iPad App Store, Jobs claims Apple has a "moral responsibility" to keep porn off the devices.

It is a sad day for that cross section of both Apple and porn fans who have been hoping for ways around Apple’s ban on porn. In an e-mail to a customer, Jobs confirms that he believes Apple has a “moral responsibility” to keep porn off the iPhone. He does offer an alternative though: Buy an Android phone.

In a copy of an email sent to TechCrunch, the Apple CEO responded to a customer named Matthew Browning, who was concerned with Apple’s seeming trend towards blocking content that the company decided was inappropriate. Browning told Jobs, “It appears that more and more Apple is determining for it’s consumers what content they should be able to receive. For instance, the blocking of Mark Fiore’s comic app (due to being political satire) or blocking of what Apple considers to be porn.”

The reference to Mark Fiore is in response to Apple’s decision to reject the application of the Pulitzer-prize-winning political cartoon satirist, on the grounds that it violated Apple’s license policy that forbids content it deems “may be found objectionable, for example, materials that may be considered obscene, pornographic, or defamatory.” Apple has since asked Fiore to resubmit his app.

“Fiore’s app will be in the store shortly.” Jobs told Browning, “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 and Android phone.”

This isn’t the first time that Jobs has suggested that the Android is a better fit for porn aficionados. During a Q&A session following the announcement of the iPhone 4.0 OS earlier this month:

“You know, there’s a porn store for Android. You can download nothing but porn. You can download porn, your kids can download porn. That’s a place we don’t want to go – so we’re not going to go there.”

Sorry iPad users, this includes you too.

Showing 43 comments

Apple takes control over iPhone porn domain names at 2:26pm 4th December 2011 [...] browser. Steve Jobs famously made a point that if someone wants to look at porn they should use and Android device, so having all these iPhone domains linked to porn have to be a little unsettling for [...]
Adam_Daniels at 6:08pm 22nd June 2011 If you want porn apps, JB your iDevice and there you go.
PeepingTom at 7:49am 28th May 2011 Porn is everywhere. Free. You don't need an app for that. What galls me about Jobs comment is that he is hiding behind a moral argument when this is really about running the apps you want to run on the hardware YOU OWN. 1984 is here folks, and Jobs/Apple are Big Brother.
Apple allows porn, Playboy coming to iPad at 7:09am 19th January 2011 [...] previously sought to keep pornographic material off of its App Store. Last April, CEO Steve Jobs bluntly stated that if people want porn, they can go to Android. “….we do believe we have a moral [...]
Cary at 9:01pm 29th December 2010 Apple is a company; not the government. They can decide what to give customers and that would be picking products. People need to realize that just because a company is large; it does not and should not HAVE to follow the orders of its customers if it doesn't want to.
Paul at 11:50am 4th December 2010 The managed-info world Apple proffers on everyone is what their value-add is: Controlled technological ecosystem that is well executed and functional. You look at the 'typical' Apple customer and I don't see a whole lot of pr0n in that demographic to begin with. Jobs isn't stupid. In the modern info-world, there is no way - for instance a parent with a child - to reliably manage or filter information and still have a life. You're going to have to count on the information infrastructure you pay to plug into being compatible with your lifestyle. Apple offers that, and since they do what they do well - even if not everyone is on board - their customers trust Apple. That's a critical difference between Apple and Microsoft, which like Apple wants to completely manage the user experience but cannot execute like Apple with their General Motors-ish approach to products and lack of hardware control. I'm not a smartphone owner - I can't abide the two-year contract for a subsidized widget that's outdated half-way through said contract - but I'm happy there are companies like Apple doing this. because it pre-emplaces market alternatives to personal filtering of smut-net and therefore pre-empts the government sticking its heavy-handed, corrupt nose into internet content, which seems it is always anxious to do.
Nice at 10:51pm 3rd December 2010 Unfortunately, this will will not ever work it never has... Why do Apple fanboys think this is new? comments like... However, we are talking about Apple...the company that had a vision of opening up the resources of the net.....the company that had a vision of home computers...the company that developed the IPhone for on the go communicating. Wrong wrong and WRONG *where have these people been hiding Hell I thought about it TOO.. All of these things apple has followed in the footsteps of others Every Company that has taken this approach has failed Apple already has with the jailbroken phones I have no use for such apps but I acknowledge others "pursuit of happiness" (ie personal freedom to choose) Maybe the American dream is just that
Guest at 5:57pm 3rd December 2010 I agree with Apple's position on this. It's much better having a clean app store. If anyone wants porn, they can open their web browser.
Bob at 9:47pm 23rd November 2010 This is not about censorship. There are plenty of other phones and ways to get porn. It is great to have a platform where porn is not being shoved in your face all the time and you don't have to constantly work to keep it away from your kids. Bottom line is people vote with their wallets. If you need porn, buy it but don't force others to accommodate you the way you want. Apple invented and developed the iPhone and its iOS so they have the right to manage it the way they see best.
1. Cary at 9:02pm 29th December 2010 booooooooo
2. Shawn at 12:04am 4th January 2011 It is about censorship. Its not like porn would be shoved in your face as you describe it. Its about it being there as a CHOICE. Not haveing that choice is censorship.
SoOverIt at 6:37pm 23rd November 2010 It's just another one of iJobs' masterful marketing ploys. He had to do something to stem the tide of Android phones which are rapidly gaining ground against the iPhone. How to do that? .... Associate Android with Porn and all matter of nastiness then remind everyone that kids with Android phones can get access to porn. Oh My!!!!! How do you protect your kids (and yourself?) buy an iPhone and you're safe. Bravo iJobs. Yet another brilliant marketing gimmick. Between iJobs telling us what we should like and News Corp telling us what we should think, welcome to the Borg.
Guest at 8:40pm 16th November 2010 When I heard that Steve wants nothing to do with "Flash", I didn't know it was the naked part he was against. I like how he wants the entire computer world to bow to him too. ie no "Flash" support for OS X 10.7 rumors. I own a mac and have gotten many people to make the jump. All I have to say to those people now is, "I'm Sorry." I didn't know Adolph junior had entered the building. Let us all NOT take a bow, but stand in front of him naked. I wonder if he's against public breastfeeding too? We should be happy for he supports the chinese economy by having all his gadgets made over their and for us to buy them. Steve~ if you wanna invest in us then give us "real" jobs, and get out of the morals business!
Guest at 7:47pm 16th November 2010 And why exactly is ITunes full of songs with explicit lyrics. Take those down Steve. And put some blocks on mac computers and iPads so that people only see the morally acceptable content. In fact iTunes should only carry Classical Music. Of composers who were married. Married only once. Go Steve, go.
1. Shawn at 12:01am 4th January 2011 You must be a bible thumper... Morals and values are the only good thing that comes from some religions. The rest just causes conflict, like pushing your morals onto others. Everyone currently has the fredom to chose, if corporations decide what is good for us then we loose all the fredoms our parents/grandparents fought for.
  1. Guest #2 at 1:21am 5th January 2011 You need to learn to read sarcasm.
Lucas at 7:19pm 16th November 2010 Mr. Jobs, you have my respect and thanks - and that of a million girlfriends, boyfriends, wives, and husbands. I'm an Android and Windows user who has not appreciated Apple's contributions to our culture until now.
1. Guest at 9:12pm 16th November 2010 Thankfully Bill Clinton had it right~ A Blow Job isn't sex so we should still be able able to watch em' on the iPhone!
no body at 6:15pm 16th November 2010 There's a porn store for the android? Was that actually some Google employee's 20% project?
Eric at 6:12pm 16th November 2010 I love my android :)
ore masta at 11:17am 22nd October 2010 lolwut... Censorship is what the Nazis did :>
1. pDub at 7:32pm 16th November 2010 what an ignorant implication to make. this has nothing to do with fascism or genocide. it's just a private company deciding that their products and reputation will not be associated with something most people claim to find offensive.
  1. guesty at 2:05pm 27th December 2010 re: "it's just a private company..." well, it's not really a private company now, is it.
ponnaya at 2:40am 10th October 2010 Lol Cloaky n1 bro!!!!
RiteOn at 4:12pm 30th September 2010 Go Jobs!!!! I hope other companies will start to take a stand as well. Thanks Mr. Jobs.
Lothlorian at 1:54pm 15th September 2010 Apple knows what is best for you. If you don't agree with Apple then you are just not with the times and you are a fool. This is what I think every time i hear a Quote from Jobs. Every Apple device is simply DRM wrapped in a shiny plastic form factor. 12 year olds are going to find porn on the internet anyways. Android is much more open and you can watch all the streaming porn you want with Adobe FLASH. At least i agree with Jobs on one thing ;) Porn is the reason the internet expanded as fast as it did. All those dirty pictures take up quite a bit of bandwidth.
1. Shawn at 11:50pm 3rd January 2011 NO ONE .. Expecially a Corporation can decide what is best for you. This is censorship, loss of our own personal freedoms. I own a iphone and love it but do not agree with Steve on this decision.
Tommybkk at 4:20pm 19th July 2010 Your a sick individual mate. Don't mock people with morals and pretty positive you lack them.
Lori at 1:16am 14th July 2010 First form of censorship I encountered was on a blackberry from Verizon which could not "visit" competitors websites. Next came Verizon's block on Google's lattitude (Verizon had a competitive app for sale). Then I found I could not download ITunes on Windows 7 OS. Now we have ITunes blocking apps. Yes a company has a right to only offer what they believe conforms to their values. However, we are talking about Apple...the company that had a vision of opening up the resources of the net.....the company that had a vision of home computers...the company that developed the IPhone for on the go communicating. No matter one's point of view on morals and values, it is a sad day.
Dugg Lowe at 4:00am 10th June 2010 Well, there's a chance Jobs can do it. You see, Sj has declared war on Flash (read war on the most popular porn movie format) and he's gonna win. YouTube, Vimeo and others have already switched to h.264 and got their apps for ipad approved.

More arguments here: Steve Jobs Doesn't Like Porn
T T at 1:41pm 9th June 2010 I have a whole new respect for Steve Jobs and the Apple company! In a world where it is all about making money, it is refreshing and inspiring to see someone standing up for their convictions.
1. Guest at 8:58pm 16th November 2010 Censorship is great! It cleans us of our filth! Sounds kinda like our politicians talking! Thankfully Bill Clinton had it right~ A Blow Job isn't sex, so I should still be able to watch them on an iphone! What the public doesn't know about our kinky side is good PR.
Mike at 5:02pm 26th May 2010 This article makes it seem as if you can't view porn on your iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc. We're only talking about Apps! Jobs doesn't want to defend Apple approving and, subsequently, making money off of thousands of Apps designed to elicit masturbation. Perhaps they'd rather not give mother's an excuse to blame Apple for why their son continually locks himself in his room and has taken an interest in washing his own sheets. But don't fret porn enthusiast: you don't need an App to watch porn on these devices. Safari works just fine. There are hundreds of porn sites designed specifically to be viewed on an iPhone, even in HD. Ironically, just Google "iphone porn" and ta da! Many of the sites allow you to view an endless amount of videos for free. Well, that's what I read anyway (wank wank).
1. Guest at 9:10pm 16th November 2010 Dude, wake up! The industry is going apps based! & so are our TV's.
Mark at 3:36pm 19th May 2010 I agree with Steve Jobs. Keep porn away from Apple as much as you can.
If you need porn to get by in this life, go buy a computer or get married. Keep it off the iPhones, iTouch, and iPads.
1. Guest at 8:30pm 16th November 2010 Mark, Are you the guy from San Fran that's trying to take the toy from my sons Happy Meal?
Travis at 7:51am 28th April 2010 This is great I have a whole new respect for Apple. "With great power comes great responsibility" and it looks like in the age of technological power Apple has taken a stand against the things which can be corrosive upon society as a whole. Internet freely accessible anywhere anytime needs a certain level of control, especially if it will be used by your children or in business. Without such distractions such as porn people will be able to focus on more creative and intellectual use of there devices. This must have been a difficult issue to stand against in the current times we live in, thus I admire Apple that much more. Oh and this is not coming from a previous fan of Apple until now I have preferred Microsoft, this isn't the only thing that is changing my mind, but it is the big final push for me. Thank You Steve Jobs, I Look froward to doing business with you.
1. Guest at 8:47pm 16th November 2010 Yeah~ Your right Bill and his wife giving away 90% of their fortune is bad for the world! Give it to Steve so he can give more "jobs" to the chinese.
Sam at 10:32am 26th April 2010 Good for you Steve Jobs. Apple hasn't and doesn't have to flow with the tide.
David Veksler at 7:49pm 20th April 2010 Why is a ex-pot-smoking hippie going on a crusade against porn? Since the app store already has a ratings system, I can only believe that this is a strategic lie to mask other considerations.
1. Guest at 9:06pm 16th November 2010 It's truly a great move. Here's the headlines... iPhone now the fastest web phone on the market!" ... kinda goes that way by default when the phone isn't running on networks bogged down by porn.
  1. Phil Winkel at 12:38am 30th May 2011 you don't know what you're talking about
rebecca g at 4:26pm 26th October 2010 learn to spell