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.
@Paul Grave Whatever the motivation or reason is – I don’t really mind – I’m glad they’ve taken that stand!
Fantastic! I love Apple even more now than I did before! Thank you Steve, for taking a stand!
Paul, very well said and to the point. Thanks for your thoughts.
@stan
It is a large company that is making huge profits and I do love their products. There are apps in the app store from Covenant Eyes and X3 Watch that are Internet browsers with accountability. It is nice that they do allow these apps but it would be nice if there was implementation of some type of porn block on safari on the apple mobile devices. Even still, Steve Jobs is the big guy on campus and it is cool to see him take a stand like this.
Way to go Steve! I love apple…..I’ll be supporting you guys every chance I get! Keep on looking out for us!
Right move, check out the following, http://www.mtbas.com.au, its not a new idea, but it is supported
Absolutelt FANTASTIC!!
Round of applause for Steve.
Well done
I am contemplating to purchase a laptop in the near future and it has to be Apple laptop.
I want to say a huge well done……it’s been too long for someone to take a stand! I will definatly buy more apple products from now on.
Porn nearly ruined my marriage and think it’s a devil’s game.
Keep up the good work, you have my full support.
I hate to burst everyone’s bubble but Jobs stand is against Adobe Flash. This has nothing to do with pornography and it’s sad the the writer of this article is so uninformed about this issue. Steve Jobs is fine with porn as long as it’s written on HTML5 and reduces competition. Jobs used porn as a straw man because he’s upset that Android is going to support flash sites. Most flash sites aren’t related to porn. ESPN and other news sites support flash as well.
What Jobs says doesn’t make a great deal of sense. The iPhone and iPad is capable of accessing all the porn in the universe via its web browser. His censorious actions regarding applications is emblematic not of a stance against porn, but of Jobs’ and Apple’s peculiar enthusiasm for proprietary control.
The other strange idea is that an application containing adult content would somehow be imposed upon those who did not wish to see it. One would have to search for it in the iTunes Store, then pay for it, download it, sync it to the product, and then deliberately run it. I don’t see how this would add to the endemic nature of pornography. However, the web browsers on all their products, like web browsers on any products, very easily can allow users to accidentally stumble upon inappropriate images or video.
All Apple products can be used to access as much porn as a user may wish. Jobs appears to be trying to score a PR point for something his products absolute do not do.
@John Walker: Here here!
@John Walker
You must not have any children with electronic devices…
@nemov
You got back up on that? Articles or anything to support what you are saying?
Thank you so much for taking a stand. We have seen our morals in this country slowly slipping away, an watching it happen. It starts somewhere, you are the man. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! You have my complete support. Future generations depend on men like you. Prayers are with you, God Bless.
The porn-app is called the Internet. I get what he’s doing, I get what you’re all happy about, but this doesn’t really do much. Open Safari and boobs.com is as close as it ever was.
And while I tip my hat to apple for it’s slick marketing strategies (not just here but their whole campaign), until I get to play the newest and best games on a Mac, I’ll still be a PC.
the “protect the children” argument is getting tired, to be honest. teens & pre-teens are always going to be curious about sexuality–that’s just a fact of life. we were all at that age once and we all know what that’s like. instead of depending on big companies to raise your kids, talk to them and have a healthy discussion about sex.
@nemov
@John Walker
exactly.
@Rob
if someone is addicted to porn, s/he will find a way to find it. trust me. porn addiction, like alcohol or drug addiction, is a psychological issue.
I think it’s about time that Steve took a stand for a moral issue and I’d like to see him follow through. I’m with Paul’s comment; whatever his motivation or reason, the most important point is that he wants to reduce the amount of porn accessible and I think that is great and far more important than any other issues raised.
Yes some people are going to react with “You can’t take my porn away! It’s my right to gratify my lust and I’d like to see you try and take it!” Yes of course if someone is addicted to porn they will find a way to get it, but the point is to stop people from getting addicted in the first place by working to reduce the amount readily thrusted into people’s faces, as well as making it easier for people to break the habit by reducing the availability for consumption. Porn is easy to become addicted to and social statistics all agree that it ruins families and lives, and it breeds sex slavery (one of the fastest growing organised crimes in the world).
I agree with Steve’s point that most people who don’t see the problem with porn are those without children themselves.
Thanks Steve for taking a stand…we have known countless young men addicted to porn who have had devastating consequences. I love Apple even more now!!
@Paul
That’s the point I’m trying to make. Steve Jobs isn’t taking a stand. He’s making a business decision.
As already pointed out by myself and others, Safari is great for browsing porn (if that’s what you want to do).
Oh and if there’s any doubt about this, the Playboy App is still available in the app store.
Way to go!!! I love Apple even more now!! I hope they continue to hold that stand!!
@Paul Grave
@stan
@John Walker
how do you explain this:
‘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.”’
@stan
@stan — You’re so wrong. Porn is only an addiction if you watch it in the first place. If they are curious about their sexuality, they shouldn’t be looking at porn. It will just confuse them. But you’re right about parents having discussion with their children about this stuff.
I like this Blog and the comment passed by Steve…May God bless u and use you as u have taken a stand for Him.
i am impressed. thank you Steve Jobs! i am an apple user and iphone user. very glad for this!
Finally! someone to take a stand. Thank-you!
Awesome. Very impressed by Jobs here, take a stand, make a point clear. Even if he would have done it for sales purposes, and it would boost sales, the sound of those words will be heard, and the ripples of his statement still have a healthy effect on modern day society. So nice one, no worries.
It is about time the men of our nation take a moral stand!! Just bought my first Mac.
Janet:
Thanks for your comments. What specifically would you like to see backed up? The quotes in general of a specific comment? Would love to help. Marc
You have integrity. It’s that simple.
How do you like them apples!
This is great and a fantastic move for Apple. We need more brands with views like this and that aren’t afraid to share ‘em.
PRAISE THE LORD \o/
that’s very good. it seems that he is really adult person. he is responsible. he is thinking about the future, about next generation. God is Great
Fantastic, Jobs you have my full support. God bless you!
His words and actions aren’t always the same.
If that was his moral principle, thus Apple’s too, why do we have so many songs available at iTunes from rappers and alike which are as close to porn as video?
Mr Steve Jobs
all I can say is wow I like it I’m with you on this fight I hope others will join God bless you I will keep you in my prayers again thank you
Donny B
I love apple products and use them all the time… However to praise him for having morals I disagree with! Steve Jobs and his company openly supports the gay movement among many other things that have no morals… Do we overlook those things for one positive move? We need to be careful who we give credit to!
Well Done for such a BOLD, NECESSARY stand!!!! Thank you for being a voice for SO MANY who are suffering in silence. No matter what opposes you, because you are standing for TRUTH and JUSTICE your reward will be eternal!!!!!
THANK YOU!!!!!
PS. I am a MAC user and huge fan!!!
Great to hear ‘corporates’ taking a good moral stand!
Thank you so much Mr Jobs, I am totally into Apple and I am thankful that in a business world where many stand for money (fair enough) You have stood for one things that is good, moral and true, thank you, I hope Apple Takes a stand on many other fair and moral issues of today…
Praise GOD for people with the right mind!
Anyone with a passing understanding of technology news knows Steve Jobs hasn’t taken a stand against porn. Go read any of the industry sites like TechCrunch. Steve Jobs and Apple are notorious for controlling their hardware and software.
Millions of non-porn websites and advertisements use Adobe Flash. If Steve Jobs said he was taking a stand against CNN or ESPN I doubt people like Marc Estes and commenters here would be talking about how great Apple is because they “care.”
YAY! makes me even more loyal to apple than I was before! We ned more people like this in the world, especially those with so much influence! Thank you Steve for helping ‘de-litter’ our computers and devices! I second and third that AMEN!
This gives me a new respect for Steve Jobs! PTL
Well done, Steve. I was a fan of Apple products before, but I have never felt better about that support than right now. To criticss about freedom, etc… you have plenty of other options. This not the government, its a free enterprise product.
I was on the fence trying to decide if I wanted to spend the extra $ for an Ipad or just get a kindle, but this is the kind of company I want to get behind and support!
Way to go, Steve! Take a stand! Claim those crowns in heaven! God is proud of you and the enemy is a deceiver, a liar, and a destroyer of everything that is contrary to God. Yay!
@nemov
You clearly don’t understand what is being talked about here. The Flash/HTML5 issue is another issue entirely. That one is open advocating open source web standards and websites that don’t need plugins in order to work over proprietary, closed, poorly made software.
No one is denying that you can find porn with Safari, but that is the internet. No one can control the Internet, not even Steve Jobs.
The issue that Jobs is talking about is having porn in the app store, which is something he does have control over. People jump up and down and complain about Apple being so narrow minded, controlling and only making these ‘business decisions’ but imagine how much money they would make if they opened the app store up to porn. I would suggest that their profits from app sales would double, even triple. This makes it a very BAD business decision to exclude porn from the app store. I, then, suggest that he IS taking a stand, choosing to not allow porn in the app store at the potential cost to Apple of tens of millions of dollars.
Maybe it was a smart business move.
Maybe he is taking a stand against adobe flash player.
Maybe he is trying to gain PR points.
Maybe it is a brilliant marketing strategy. (I will promote them for this)
Bottom line. He had the moral courage to go public with this view despite what critics will say. Imagine the ripple effect it could have, a man with the influence level Steve Jobs has taking this type of stand. What this country/world is lacking is “real men” of character and we need more people to step up and stand for what is morally right. I applaud Mr Jobs for doing this now and in the past. May God bless him.
“Live each day as if it were your last and one day you’ll be right.” ~STEVE JOBS