Apple Rejects a Face of Jesus App
Apple has made it a point to look at each application before it is to be offered in its App Store, a daunting task considering the sheer volume of apps being developed daily. Before any app makes its way onto your iPhone, Apple makes sure it meets certain guidelines. After the whirlwind of controversy surrounding Baby Shaker, Apple has been especially careful of what it makes available. Recently, Apple rejected an app that allows users to apply a photo over the face of Jesus and other religious leaders. The app, dubbed Me So Holy, crossed the line of what Apple felt to be offensive material, and Apple exercised its option to disallow the application on the grounds that some people or religious groups would find the app inappropriate.
1: Baby Shaker
Some iPhone apps cross a fine line -- going from strange but fun to disturbing and immoral. The folks at Apple certainly faced this dilemma with Baby Shaker. Introduced by Sikalosoft in April 2009 (but no longer available via the App Store), Baby Shaker was a game that depicted a cute baby swaddled in blankets. The point of the game was to shake the iPhone until red Xs replaced the cuddly baby's eyes. The red Xs signified you killed the baby and a timer kept track of the speed at which you performed virtual infanticide.
Each time the user started the application, it opened with a disclaimer stating not to ever shake a baby. But the disclaimer didn't stop many from becoming outraged over the app. After outcries poured in from representatives of the National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome, Apple pulled Baby Shaker from the App Store. The company later released an apology [source: CNET].
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