Steve Jobs Takes a Stand – AMEN!
Every once in a while you come across a profound statement made by a prominent leader that makes you realize that there are still great people in the world today. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple put his entire reputation on the line by taking a very bold stand regarding the issue of pornography and the decision to block all sites from any of his products. In a world filled with people who would criticize this move and label him a narrow-minded, free speech control freak, I would like to go on the record publicly as saying, “You have got my loyalty and respect!” Here are some thoughts taken from Breakpoint’s website:
Jobs has made it clear that he wants to keep pornography off Apple products as much as possible. Obviously Apple can’t control everything its users do, but it can make porn scarcer on its products, and it has done just that.
A British newspaper, The Guardian,reports, “So insistent is Apple [on this policy], many magazine publishers developing ‘apps’ for the new iPad . . . have had to self-censor.”
As you might expect, this has triggered a frenzy among some critics. Ryan Tate, a writer for the Gawker website, sniped at Jobs about suppressing his customers’ “freedom,” prompting Jobs to respond, “Yep, freedom from programs that steal your private data. Freedom from programs that trash your battery. Freedom from porn. Yep, freedom.”
When Tate replied that he didn’t want “freedom from porn,” Jobs answered, “You might care more about porn when you have kids.” In a correspondence with a consumer, Jobs went even further, speaking of his company’s “moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone.”
How refreshing it is to see someone who actually gets it—that yes, there are those of us who prefer to be free from the storm of smut that assaults us from every television, computer, and phone screen. The supply of pornographic material is so overwhelming that access to it is certainly not an issue of “freedom” anymore, if it ever was.
Jobs has pointed out that people who want to see porn on their phones, and who want easier access to it on their computers, can easily get all they want if they buy other companies’ products. But as he said in a press conference, “That’s a place we don’t want to go—so we’re not going to go there.”
What Jobs seems to understand, and what his critics seem to be ignoring, is that there’s so much more to pornography than just issues of economics or free speech. It shouldn’t even need to be explained, but apparently for some people it does: Pornography is an ugly, poisonous, degrading business for everyone involved, whether they’re making it, using it, or selling it.
As my colleague Kim Moreland recently mentioned on our blog, The Point, new studies are demonstrating yet again just how dangerous and addictive it can be. It tears at the fabric of marriages and families and of society itself. Its use is connected from everything to higher divorce rates to human trafficking to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Aside from the occasional reference to protecting kids (which is enough), Steve Jobs didn’t go thoroughly into the reasons for his policy. But for whatever reason, he truly is demonstrating corporate responsibility, the kind that we desperately need more businesses to show in this sex-obsessed society.
May he continue to stand by his principles, and may his tribe increase.
Wonderful!! Just wonderful… I love the fact that he just doesn’t care about what others think. Thank God!
I personally think its a great thing to know that some people out there actually have great wisdom about these things and jobs is very brave to express his feelings like this and i think its great that he is blocking pornography from all apple products its not right and it will never be right thank you personally for blocking it for my future kids who will be teens and go through the peer pressure that we all have gone through …
@Mama Hen – What a peculiar conclusion to draw! I only stated how iPhones and iPads work, not made any moral or ethical judgments about the available content. My having children or not does not have any bearing on what Mr Jobs’ devices can and can’t do!
@Josiah – I’m afraid do not understand what relevance that Guardian quote has to do with what I and others have said. I don’t believe it contradicts anything that has been said about web access to porn. Apple occasionally forces app creators to self-censor before they allow the apps to be sold on the App Store. No one is denying this. This quote has nothing to do with the in-built web browser, Safari, being able to access all the porn anyone could want to find.
I am greatly saddened to see that so many good-natured people have bought Apple products based on this story, in the mistaken belief that they are somehow protected from being able to access pornography.
“As my colleague Kim Moreland recently mentioned on our blog, The Point, new studies are demonstrating yet again just how dangerous and addictive it can be. ”
What studies? All the studies I’ve seen say the opposite!
S
many here believe that Steve is only wanting to keep control over Adobe and whatnot. The porn issue has nothing to do with flash or html5. as some have said here, anyone can get on the web browser and access porn. Apple has no control over what content is on the internet, but they do have control over what apps make it in their app store. the point is that Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. are not out to take away your ‘freedom’ to view porn, they are just not in the business of selling it. they can block mature content from the apps that they sell in their store just as if you own a book store or a magazine stand, you can choose not to sell porn. anyone can go out and get porn if they want it, that’s not the point. the point is that Apple and other companies can and should choose not to make it part of their business model as many companies have done.
excellent article.
Now this is what im talking about… apple finally makes sense to me… jus cause of this, i think im gonna buy myself an i-pad.. you have my full support steve… now on, apple’s the best, hands down!! and for all you pornographic losers out there, whether ur makin it, using it or sellin it, go hit on microsoft, leave apple alone!!
Chris – Finally someone who understands the point of Steve’s comments and clarifies it in a sensible manner. I do hope that many of the skeptics come back and read your post. I will also post a great article by my good buddy George Ross who will give a complete technical perspective in the next day or so. Thanks!
Great post. I totally agree and believe this is the whole point of the Steve’s comments. Thanks for your thoughts! Marc
true, access from pornography is hardly limited through this measure, but i think that it significantly reduces the amount of pornography one would stumble upon, kind of like an internet browser’s safe search. Those who want to access it still can, and those who would prefer not to see such things are better protected.
God bless apple mac, God bless Steve he might a thousand of people in his way who didn’t like him for the decision that he made but allowing yourself to make a stand is a brave thing and i believe he is someone to look up too…
Thanks, Marc, for sharing this! And thanks to Steve Jobs for taking a bold stand! He’s right — porn is addictive and it does ruin lives (souls)! And our souls “do” live for ever! Those who do not believe that our souls are eternal will suffer eternally for being absolutely wrong in their opinion!
wish i had the cash to by a mac when i needed a computer. i believe that u buy the company when u by the product, i wish i had seen this before my last computer purchase. i appauld mr jobs for taking the unpopular but correct stand. may God bless him as he has blessed others!
Way to go Steve!!! Don’t back down.
@Josiah
That’s been part of the app approval since Apple first introduced the App Store. Nothing new.
No wonder he’s so rich. God can really bless an attitude like that
This is a man who is a great leader, I’m buying Mac from now on.
May God bless you Steve for taking a stand and going against the grain of the worlds system of today. Pornography isn’t freedom, it is enslavery of the soul. And you are protecting thousands of lives for taking this stand! May many men in business rise and follow suit & do grreat moral exploits like Steve!
Thank you sooo much for not being afraid to stand up for the rights of those who do not care to see or participate in this total disregard for the respect of women!
Good job Mr. Jobs! Thank you for the stand you have taken on this issue. It feels like we (the general public) are constantly having issues like pornography literally shoved down our throat at every turn. It is refreshing to have someone of your stature say “No” to corporate and public pressure to conform to the supposed “norms” of our society. People are becoming increasingly desensitized to the real issues pornography presents especially to our youth. They think this is normal human behavior and something to be immulated. Humans are the only species that perverts and promotes sexuality and always for profit.
Thank you Mr. Jobs for taking corporate responsibility. You have just made up my mind to switch to all Apple products.
Awesomeness!!! Thank you Mr. Jobs!!! The truth is that we live in a pornified culture and people don’t care much about censoring unless this has affected them in some way and as Mr. Jobs said “you might care more about porn when you have kids”. Even if you don’t have kids of your own at least you know some children somewhere (cousins, nephews, neighbors, siblings) and imagine those kids being so richly exposed to the opportunity of porn. Porn is just destructive and denigrating. Pornography affects both boys and girls (boys don’t know how to form healthy relationships and girls acquire such low self respect). There are those who might argue that only Christians have negative feelings about porn yet statistics show otherwise. The American Psychological Association said that ” The saturation of sexualised images of females is leading to body hatred, eating disorders, low self-esteem, depression, high rates of teen pregnancy and unhealthy sexual development in our girl children. It also leads to impaired cognitive performance. In short, if we tell girls that looking “hot” is the only way to be validated, rather than encouraging them to be active players in the world, they underperform at everything else.
But the consequences of sexualising girls are far more devastating than this. Rape is at crisis levels, and one in three women will be a victim of stalking, sexual harassment or sexual violence in their lifetime. The sexualisation of girls is not just shattering the lives of girls and women, it is preventing boys and young men from relating to girls and women as complex human beings with so much to offer them. It is preventing boys from forming healthy friendships and working relationships with girls and women. Instead, it is nurturing potentially violent abusers, rapists and johns. Ultimately, it means boys are not free to be themselves, to know their own humanity. ”
All my respect for the stand taken!!!
God bless you Steve in taking a stand against sites that are destroying men, women and marriges. Freedom is one thing but causing so many social problems is another.
Thank you
I’m not sure if any of you are aware of a meeting or consultation on “The Social Costs of Pornography” where “assembled leading experts in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, neurophysiology, philosophy, sociology, law, and political theory to present a rigorously argued overview of the problem of pornography in our society and to make recommendations. The primary purpose of the meeting was to examine the real nature of pornography in its moral and social consequences”
Here is the website http://www.socialcostsofpornography.org/
you can buy the DVD’s on Amazon but you can also watch the videos if you click on the “Video” tab on the top center of the website.
This piece of information alone would make me want to switch to a MAC based product. In this fast paced, techno crazed world where it seems anything and everything goes to get what you want, it is such a breath of fresh air to see that Steve is indeed a man of integrity and stands by his beliefs. Gives me faith in humankind.
What a refreshing stand from someone so prominate! I liked his stand so much I just bought a bunch more shares of Apple stock.
Wonderful! Yet another reason to love Apple!
It makes me proud to own an apple product with a person like Jobs in leadership. WOW, all support to him. Bless him Lord!!
Wonderful to see someone who will try to help the world around us be better instead of allowing the flood tide of things that hurt us to go on unabated.
thanks for taking a stand. may the Lord strengthen you.
Thank you for taking a stand on this issue. We need a leader to pave the way so others can follow. My family is affected by these sites and the bondage it brings is destroying our families. A big thank you. God bless you and your family.
Deanna Morton
Woop woop Mr. Jobs! I take my hat off for you.
I being an owner a couple of your products have to say thank you soo much. You deserve a metal!
Thank GOD for Steve Jobs. If more people of influence took a stand against pornography and other filth in this country, it would be a much better place in which to live. Another place to look at is ParentsTelevision.com. They have been fighting for years to clean up the airways, and they have been very successfull. Kudos to Steve Jobs.
God bless Steve Jobs!!!!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..way 2 go…4 keepin it so real…I pray a 100 fold return because of this ginormous stand you have taken…this is a man after GODS heart:)
“Pornography is an ugly, poisonous, degrading business for everyone involved, whether they’re making it, using it, or selling it.”
That business is about as old as humanity, but it’s probably an American thing to find firearms and violence totally acceptable and normal, as is watching documentaries about executions of prisoners in schools, but sexuality is ah so evil. Maybe you should talk more about it with your kids and grow up to treat it as the natural thing that it is, maybe then you wouldn’t have to have the largest porn industry in the world and so many teenage pregnancies.
I am glad that neither you nor Apple are in a position to impose your false and pseudo-religious code of morale on me and other liberal thinkers.
“Thank you sooo much for not being afraid to stand up for the rights of those who do not care to see or participate in this total disregard for the respect of women!”
Ah, yes, sure. It sounds like you honestly believe that at least the men are treated with respect in pornographic pictures and are depicted as what they truly are, do you?
Here’s some news for you: Pornography is adult ENTERTAINMENT. It’s FICTION. Nothing is real in such movies. There are even companies who specialize in pornographic and erotic movies for WOMEN. Yes, that’s right – porn for women. Imagine that. Whether you like it or not, but there is a market for it and WOMEN are shooting and producing those movies.
If Apple does not want to participate in that industry, then it’s their complete right to do so. There are just two problems with it: Censorship in general, which is unacceptable in the so-called Free World, and the fact that they hold a monopoly on the iTunes AppStore. If there were others who could open an AppStore for iGadgets, then we wouldn’t have a problem here. But such as it is, Apple’s AppStore policies are unacceptable.
Or is this another Freedom that Steve Jobs gives us? The Freedom to have any opinion as long as it is the same his?
Thank you, Mr. Jobs!!
I have such great respect for Steve Jobs and his strong stand for being in control of his company and products in such an honorable way. His company his rules. A great product and worth every cent. America needs more people running companies like him! Thanks for your hard work and commitment to excellence and freedom!!
Not only is this a great moral move, but it strikes me as a genius marketing move. By keeping his products clean, he increases the likelihood that they will wind up in the hands of kids. If “Uncle Marty” had some questionable stuff on his iPad, there’s no way “Little Timmy” would get to play around with it at the next family get-together. But since the products are kid-safe, this next generation will be growing up with Apple products in their hands. Makes me wish I had the funds to invest a lot in Apple.
So glad to see a man taking a stand, I’d love to see ALL pornography off the internet!
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God will bless Steve Jobs for his stand!! I wish I knew how to thank him personally, I would.