Twitter and Apple face porn problems with Vine

Rule 34 of the Internet states that ‘if it exists, there is porn of it and there is no exception’. The fact also remains that if a new platform is developed, porn tries to become an integral part of it. Twitter’s newest video platform Vine is facing that issue now

Exclusively available through the iOS app store for iPhone and iPod touch, Vine lets users capture and share short looping videos through Twitter. The videos play when a tweet is expanded and appear like animated GIF images. There is also the option to have sound with the video. Users can tag these videos with a hashtag, so that they can be discovered easily.

The short, looping format of these videos has proved conducive to pornographic clips to be added to the platform. The problem came to light rather late, with New York Times’ reporter Nick Bilton tweeting that the hashtag #porn was throwing up results of exhibitionists and pornographic clips on Vine.

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Now a porn-hub

It has been noted that while Vine’s Terms of Services do not expressly prohibit explicit content, it appeals to users to share videos responsibly. “You are responsible for your use of the Services, for any Content you post to the Services, and for any consequences thereof. The Content you submit, post, or display will be able to be viewed by other users of the Services and through third party services and websites. You should only provide Content that you are comfortable sharing with others under these Terms,” it reads.

Even when it comes to tweets, Twitter has chosen to stay clear from censorship except in cases of illegality. Country based censorship on Twitter also works in the way that if certain content is illegal in one country, it will be available everywhere else except the country in question.

The bigger problem here is for Apple, though. The App Store attitude, ever since its launch has been ‘see no evil’. The App Store guideline for an app to be listed is, “apps containing pornographic material, defined by Webster’s Dictionary as ’explicit descriptions or displays of sexual organs or activities intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings’, will be rejected." It is notable that Vine made it to not just the App Store but was featured as the ‘Editor’s Pick’ the day it launched.

Only recently, the App Store had taken down an app called 500px ‘for featuring pornographic images and material, a clear violation of the guidelines’. It, therefore, makes it hard to believe that moderators at the App Store had not considered the fact that a short video app will not play home to a host of pornographic clips.

Apple has not commented on this matter yet, while Twitter in a statement has urged users to flag inappropriate content in order for a warning message to show up.