iPhone maker Apple is angry and quite angry with the European Union (EU). The reason is the Adult app — the Hot Tub iPhone app. The newly available pornography app in the European Union (EU) has sparked a clash between Apple and regulators, with the tech giant warning that the bloc’s digital rules are undermining consumer trust. AltStore PAL, an alternative app marketplace enabled by Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), recently launched “Hot Tub,” an app described as an adult content browser.The DMA mandates that large tech companies open their services to greater competition, allowing users to download apps from third-party stores, rather than being confined to official app stores like Apple’s and Google’s.
The DMA, which came into effect last year, has forced Apple to make significant changes, including relaxing restrictions on its App Store within the EU. Apple has consistently opposed these regulations, arguing that they increase the risk of users being exposed to harmful content like pornography, illegal drugs, and other prohibited material.
In its latest statement, Apple reiterated its concerns, stating it is “deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids.”
Apple slams the claim that the app is Apple-approved porn app
AltStore PAL claimed on social media that Hot Tub is “the world’s 1st Apple-approved porn app.” Apple strongly refuted this, stating that the availability of such an app “undermines consumer trust and confidence” in its ecosystem.
“Contrary to the false statements made by the marketplace developer, we certainly do not approve of this app and would never offer it in our App Store,” Apple said in a statement. “The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety.”
AltStore countered Apple’s claims, arguing that the iPhone maker “continues to use safety as a pretext to protect their monopoly power and evade compliance with the DMA.”
Fortnite maker Epic Games slams Apple
While apps on rival marketplaces must undergo a “notarization” process by Apple, app developers are prohibited from suggesting this constitutes an endorsement. AltStore is supported by a grant from Epic Games, a long-time adversary of Apple over app distribution and in-app transaction fees. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney also criticized Apple, stating that on other platforms like Windows, Mac, and Linux, developers can release apps without platform holders imposing fees or making moral judgments.