Photo: AltStore PAL
You might have heard of “Hot Tub”, a porn app that’s available to iPhone users living in the EU.
Normally, Apple won’t allow such an app. And they didn’t. The app is not available on Apple’s own App Store. Instead, it’s available in the EU via AltStore PAL – an alternative app store made possible by the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
If you don’t already know, the Digital Markets Act dictates that Apple must allow alternative (third-party) app stores in the EU, of which AltStore is one.
I haven’t tried the app for obvious reasons, but according to reports, Hot Tub allows users to search and play videos from adult sites like Pornhub and Xvideos. The app describes itself as “An elegant, native porn app. Thoughtfully designed, ethically made, and free to use”.
Hot Tub also claims it’s the first “Apple approved” porn app for the iPhone. A claim that Apple denies. In a statement, it said:
We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids. This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world. 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. 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.
Hot Tub is only approved insofar that it passes Apple’s Notarization process, in which Apple only checks for malware and fraud. This is not the same as Apple’s traditional app review process, which is considerably stricter. Because of the Digital Market Acts, Apple now has little control over what kinds of apps make it to app stores in the EU.
Additionally, Apple said they raised their concerns about the app to the European Commission back in December, but the body did nothing to stop the app from being published on AltStore PAL.
To AltStore PAL’s credit, its developer Riley Testut, said the company will donate all of its February Patreon earnings to organisations supporting sex workers and the LGBTQ+ community. It said, “We feel this is necessary to fight back against recent harmful policies by politicians, Meta, and others, and we encourage everyone to help however you can”.
If you pay attention to the statement, you’ll see that Apple mentioned Epic – as in Epic Games. Interestingly, it looks like Epic Games has had a hand in making the app available on AltStore PAL, or at least in making AltStore PAL widely available to users in the EU.
According to reports, Epic Games gave AltStore PAL a “MegaGrant”, which is a huge part of the reason why it was able to drop its subscription requirement soon after launching last year. Epic Games, if you remember, was embroiled in a bitter battle with Apple over payments in Fortnite, which eventually led to Fortnite being removed from the App Store.
Source: Apple, TechCrunch
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