Hot Tub allows iPhone users in the EU to access porn videos from sites like PornHub, XNXX, and XHamster.
Apple has raised alarms about the safety risks, particularly for children, associated with such apps.
The app became the first adult content app to pass Apple’s cybersecurity review process under the EU Digital Markets Act.
iPhone users in the European Union are able to download a dedicated porn app called Hot Tub via alternative app store, AltStore PAL, thanks to the recent changes in the regulations under the EU Digital Markets Act. The application functions as a search engine for adult content, making it the first porn application to be available for iOS devices via legal means.
SurveyWhat is a Hot Tub?
Hot Tub is an application available through a different app store and let users search and watch videos from popular adult websites, including PornHub, XVideos, XNXX, and XHamster, a report stated. The application will reportedly offer an ad-free experience without intrusive pop-ups.
Apple’s take on Porn Application
Apple has expressed concern over the availability of the Hot Tub porn application for the iPhone users in the EU, criticising the application as a safety risk, specifically for children. “”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,” the company said as quoted by Reuters.
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What happened
EU under the DMA regulations, ordered Apple to allow third-party app stores last year. The Hot Tub became the first application in the adult category to successfully navigate Apple’s Notarization process, a standard designed to maintain platform integrity, making it available for iOS users. However, Apple has officially denied the availability of this application in its App Store.
For those who are unaware, Apple still requires all apps to go through a basic review process known as notarization, which does not entail content approval but looks for cybersecurity risks like known malware. AltStore was notarized and claimed to be the “first Apple-approved porn app in the world” on X.
What were the rules earlier:
The tech giant had complete control over the software that could be downloaded on devices, with no evidence of any such application on the App Store. In 2010, Steve Jobs remarked that not allowing pornography on the App Store is the company’s moral duty. Apart from the EU, the company does not provide third-party stores, limiting the possibility of offering such apps.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
