Apple Rejects Non-Nude Gay iPhone App

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple has removed from its online store a previously approved app built by gay adult company Athletic Model Guild.

The app in question is called AMG Beefcake and features non-nude, erotic images of male models. The galleries for the app come from the earlier work of company founder Bob Mizer, offering fans a wide selection of "Wild Bunch"-style images of men in jeans, leather jackets and a variety of 1950s styles.

AMG said today that a new update for the app got it booted from the App Store. According to AMG, Apple alerted them to the removal, citing two specific images as “obscene, pornographic, or defamatory.”

The two images depict the same model in jeans, workboots and no shirt. In one shot, he wears a leather jacket. In the other, he doesn't. The model is sitting on a small stool.

Calls to Apple had not been returned as of post time.

“It’s one thing to deny nudity in the content that you make available to the public, but when you start censoring images that could very well pop up in a Diet Coke commercial, there’s something going seriously wrong,” AMG Director of Communications Christopher Trout said. “Even the federal government, which was once the gold standard for prudishness in the US, has never been this tyrannical about their censorship of the human body.”

AMG said that Apple referred to the following language for the rejection:

“Applications may be rejected if they contain content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, sounds, etc.) that in Apple’s reasonable judgement may be found objectionable, for example, materials that may be considered obscene, pornographic, or defamatory.”

“The implication is that the female form is somehow less offensive to American sensibilities,” AMG President Dennis Bell said. “I’m not going to cry homophobia or sexism here, but it’s clear that Apple needs to be careful about the message they are sending. It’s disappointing to see such a progressive company taking such a conservative approach to content management.”

It's less likely that Apple is homophobic and more likely that the App Store has a wildly inconsistent approval process. Apple has been the subject of widespread criticism for how long approvals take and for its lack of transparency.

Apple has also been criticized specifically for its inconsistent and overly harsh treatment of adult. Tech analyst MG Siegler of TechCrunh.com noted that with the release of the most recent iPhone operating system, Apple has the power to give app's movie-style ratings. AMG's Beefcake app was given the toughest rating, 17+.

"I can understand why Apple would want to restrict mature apps before it had parental controls in place for them, but now it has those in place," Siegler wrote. "There should be no reason why an adult shouldn’t be allowed to get an application with nudity in it if they want."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Randy Denmark Launches New Paysite

Producer and content creator Randy Denmark has launched his new membership site, RandyDenmark.com, through MyMember.site.

Alabama Senate Committee Approves Filtering, App-Based AV Bills

The Alabama state Senate’s Children and Youth Health Committee on Thursday approved two bills intended to prevent minors from accessing adult content online, one aimed at device manufacturers and the other aimed at app store providers.

Sen. Mike Lee Renews Push for Federal AV Legislation

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah on Wednesday reintroduced a federal age verification bill that has twice previously failed to make it through Congress.

South Dakota Governor Signs AV Law With Criminal Charges

South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden has signed into law a bill imposing criminal charges on sites that fail to perform age verification of users when providing access to adult content.

UK Pornography Review Recommends Banning 'Extreme' Content

The “pornography review” initiated under the conservative government of former U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is soon expected to present its recommendations, which according to a BBC report will include banning any adult content deemed “degrading, violent and misogynistic.”

Malaysian Government Urges Tech Companies to Continue Porn Crackdown

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has asked all social media and online messaging platforms with at least 8 million users to register as application service providers beginning this year, in an effort to monitor and prevent pornography on such sites.

SceneLocker Extends Closed Beta Test for Creators

Content creator cloud storage company SceneLocker has extended its closed beta test.

Ms. Magazine Exposes Anti-LGBTQ+ Effects of AV Laws

Ms. magazine on Tuesday published an article examining how state age verification laws, promoted as a way to protect children online, are being used to censor LGBTQ+ and abortion-related content.

Zuzana Designs Marks 20-Year Anniversary

Web design and marketing firm Zuzana Designs is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Nikki Sequoia Launches New Fetish Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Content creator Nikki Sequoia has launched her new membership site, NikkisFetishes.com, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Show More