EU Forces Apple to Host Porn App Against Its Will

February 4, 2025

Ever since Apple opened its App Store on its iPhones in 2008 it has sought to control and curate its offerings. Apple stoutly maintains its curation creates a better user experience. Customers seem to agree, voting with their dollars to give Apple the largest market share in the global smartphone market (while still facing stiff competition from Samsung and others).

But the regulators of the European Union know better. The European Digital Markets Act (DMA) is forcing Apple to allow alternative app stores on its phones in Europe. It is somewhat like a policeman walking into a store and telling the shopkeeper to let his competitors set up booths in his store. One of the new app stores on iPhones in Europe is AltStore, which can distribute to you – or to your children – the Hot Tub app, which aggregates pornographic video from multiple online sources.

Hot Tub claims it is “Apple approved.” Apple says this is a lie. “The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed,” Apple said in a statement.

The late, great Steve Jobs said that keeping porn out of the iPhone was a “moral responsibility.” Those moral content decisions are now in the hands of European regulators. Welcome to Margrethe Vestager’s Hot Tub!