Apple Inc. criticized the EU’s Digital Markets Act following the arrival of the first known adult content app on iPhones in the region.
The app, called Hot Tub, is accessible via AltStore PAL, a third-party app marketplace introduced in compliance with local regulations.
Hot Tub allows users to search for and view pornographic videos from various online sources.
The developer of Hot Tub has claimed that the app is “Apple approved,” but Apple has refuted this, calling the assertion false.
Apple clarified that while it reviews apps from third-party stores in the EU for malware and device compatibility, it does not endorse them for quality or functionality.
“We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “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.”
A spokesperson for Apple stated that the company does not approve of the Hot Tub app and would “never offer it” in its official 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.”
The company is promoting the porn app to highlight its belief that the EU’s regulations could negatively impact Apple users in the region.
Apple stated that it raised its concerns with the European Commission in December, but the regulatory body did not express any opposition.
AltStore has secured an investment from Epic Games Inc., a longtime adversary of Apple that has challenged the company in court across multiple countries over App Store rules and fees.