King of the Apple Empire, Steve Jobs, has faced some flack recently for his refusal to allow apps programmed with Flash. Apple requires app developers to use Apple’s tools, and Flash is not one of them.
One frustrated blogger on Gawker.com, Ryan Tate, e-mailed Jobs about a recent commercial calling the iPad a “revolution.” After all, aren’t real revolutions about freedom?
Jobs’ return e-mail three hours later opened up the proverbial can of worms:
“Yep, freedom from programs that steal your private data. Freedom from programs that trash your battery. Freedom from porn. Yep, freedom. The times they are a changin’ and some traditional PC folks feel their world is slipping away. It is.”
Freedom from porn? Yes. That’s what he said.
In another email with an Apple customer, when asked about why Jobs was trying to be the “moral police,” not allowing pornography apps, Jobs stated, “We do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy and [sic] Android phone.”
Only two years ago the adult industry was praising the iPhone for being the “perfect vehicle” for bringing porn to America. Now Jobs is doing his part to make it less porn-friendly.
Many are pleased with this direction. UK church planter Tim Chester, author of Captured by a Better Vision, writes,
“I’m delighted by Steve Jobs’ attitude to porn. I’m astonished by his biblical definition of freedom. Freedom is not about having lots of choice. We have been deceived into holding this false definition of freedom by neo-liberal economists. True freedom is the ability to choose or to be the best. God’s freedom does not lie in the fact that he can do either good or evil. It lies in the fact that he can always do and be what is best. Freedom is not being able to choose whether you view porn or not. It’s the ability to live the good life which is life in relationship to God and under his authority. And that freedom includes freedom from porn.”
Others feel Jobs is being ridiculous when he says he wants to keep porn off the iPhone and iPad. After all, Playboy has an app (not with nude pictures, of course, just teasers for the magazine). Oh, and let’s not forget… um… Safari. This is one of the reasons Covenant Eyes created a browser.
What do you think? Should Apple use its own sense of morality to guard what apps are created for its products?
Delighted about the stand against pornography taken by Jobs.
I love this, it is about time that the porn industry is told no. Yes people will find a way to view it via the internet if they want to but it is nice to see that they are cracking down on porn apps. It is about time someone in the public eye says something about the problems of porn. Even if part of this is motivated by sales and good PR it still sends a message…
Yes, our children and society needs this step!
Glad this step is being taken!
I am proud of Jobs! Finally someone is man enough to step up against porn.
Well done Steve! There is substantial social evidence that pornography degrades women; destroys marriages and programs men to view women as sex objects rather than respecting or protecting them .
Apple has the right to make their products porn free – that does not impact people’s freedom of choice; since the pornographers can simply choose to buy a phone that allows them to degrade their consciences and relationships.
Serial Killer; Ted Bundy; made it clear in his pre-execution interview that it all started with soft porn, and one thing led to another. He stated that most men in prison for sexual or murder charges had the same pattern in their lives.
If we continue to expose our children to this perversion – what do you think marriages and families will look like in 10 years.
I pray Steve stands against all the flack he will have to take, but thank GOD for his moral vision.
Steve Job’s is a man focused on bringing out the best in others. In this way he recognizes that pornography is a destructive influence and should be suppressed. It is a choice to use Apple products and I have chosen them because the have helped me to be my best. Christ is Lord over all our technology and we must choose what to invest in.
I really applaud Steve Jobs stance on pornography. I would love to see a filter built-into the Safari browser to help with the internet sites themselves. This conversation really centered around the Adobe vs Apple fight (which I disagree with Apple on), but it was interesting how Ryan Tate defended his use of pornography by bringing his wife into the conversation. I think that speaks volumes of how pornography distorts our vision of marriage.
What a relief that there actually is someone in power that has a sense of morality. Thank you Steve Jobs for putting up a fight for integrity and purity. Our minds need to be protected from things that make us less and cause us to disrespect the value of others.
kandy lamb