Wesley Hilliard
A new Discord policy removes NSFW servers from the iPhone and iPad apps in order to comply with an unidentified Apple policy.
On Tuesday, Discord announced that it would begin classifying servers based on content, specifically NSFW content. Not all NSFW content is in danger, however, and only applies to servers that focus on NSFW content only.
The company isn't providing much insight into the issue. According to Mashable, a spokesperson simply stated that the change was "to comply with Apple's policies." Which policy and why is not clear.
One possible reason is the app's age rating. On March 22, Discord announced that it had to update its age rating from 12+ to 17+ upon Apple's request. This means that any minor with an Apple ID would not be able to download the Discord app if parental controls were on.
A 17+ age rating is not ideal for an app directed at young teens. Removing all NSFW content from the iOS app would rectify this issue.
Another reason, and the one shared by The Verge is that Apple has targeted Discord in an unfair campaign to remove adult content. Apple is known to have an anti-pornography policy and doesn't allow any apps in the App Store that is primarily used to distribute pornography.
Presumably, Discord would be able to remain unchanged with a 17+ rating with its NSFW servers in place. Reddit is host to a lot of NSFW content, yet it safely holds a 17+ rating.
When we dealt with this at Tumblr, it became my full time jobs for weeks to find incredibly complex ways to appease Apple's censors. This happened every time they found a sexy blog they didn't like. It's absurd.
— Matthew Bischoff (@mb) April 13, 2021
Discord is not the first app to deal with issues surrounding NSFW content within its apps. Matthew Bischoff remarks that this is a similar problem he encountered while at Tumblr. Apple would seemingly target different blogs and posts at random.
AppleInsider has reached out to Discord for clarification on the matter. If Apple is indeed cracking down on adult content within the App Store, expect similar action to be taken against other popular platforms.
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18 Comments
I love how these companies cry about how this is about free expression when it’s completely about their bottom lines.
Also, what person or company is unaware that parents want to be able to control what and how their kids get information and content? And more to the point, that Apple tries to tread a fine line between family friendly and creative expression — a notoriously difficult task, if the social networks are to believed (researchers say otherwise, but hey …).
Also funny how uneven enforcement on social networks/other companies barely makes the news cycle, despite copious evidence of predatory behavior and criticism from experts. But slap “Apple” in there as a boogie-person and it’s major news.
it's gonna be a few rocky years for Apple to single-handedly battle against data mining... Fortunately, most customers are aware what might be going on with their personal data. But it's gonna be tough for Apple
First off, I love Apple as a company overall and am fully invested in their ecosystem. I really appreciate their dedication to privacy, the environment, and marginalized folx.
All that being said, their ridiculously outdated and puritanical views on human sexuality are terrible.
And this is a bad thing because...?