Although the iPhone’s App Store features a wide range of over 140,000 applications, Apple have had to remove a number of sexual applications due to a high number of complaints. Apple have said that these applications on the iPad would receive even more complains and have chosen to act before its anticipated release.

Apple has always had the policy of rejecting any applications which contained pornographic content, however until now applications featuring softer forms of sexuality have been allowed. Applications which display women in bikinis or men showing an unacceptable amount of skin have been removed from the App Store, this also includes games and utilities which had any sexual connotations.

The purge is ongoing, with Apple having to review each application separately due to a number of complaints. Many mothers have displayed their concern that their children can easily access overly-sexual applications, with many other women stating the applications available as degrading and immoral.

Although Apple have removed many applications and reviewed their policies, it seems that they have added an ‘Explicit’ category to their application submission form. It is not clear whether the removed applications will be reinstated in the new category, however it is suggested that new submissions will have the choice to enter as explicit. The iPhone already has parental controls inbuilt and it is likely that Apple will add a feature allowing explicit applications to be blocked from the iPhone and the future iPad.