YNOT – Going Apple one better in the “porn is bad on mobile phones” movement, Microsoft this week released specific rules for developers intent on creating apps for Windows Phone 7.Unlike Apple’s vague, often contradictory and seemingly capricious decisions that have left iPhone, iPod and iPad developers scratching their heads over exactly what constitutes the sort of “adult content” not welcome in the iTunes app store, Microsoft’s gatekeepers have taken great care to spell out almost everything.
Porn tops Microsoft’s no-no list. According to the company’s guidelines, “provocative images that reveal nipples, genitals, buttocks or pubic hair” are not allowed. Also unwelcome are apps promoting prostitution, sexual fetishes or “content of a sexual nature depicting children or animals.”
Violence, too, will feel the censorship ax. Banned are any products, including games, that depict decapitation; impaling; blood spattering, spurting, pooling or otherwise mucking up the screen; gore, strangulation and cruelty to animals.
Also disallowed are products that glorify or promote alcohol abuse, illegal drugs, gambling or terrorism.
Not quite as clear are the company’s guidelines about profanity. Although Microsoft’s developer checklist mentions “excessive profanity” as a reason for potential rejection, the rules do not define what constitutes “excessive.” Particular words? An abundance of swear words of any kind? Who knows?
Technical specs are included, as well. All Windows Phone 7 apps must weigh in at under 20MB for over-the-air delivery. Larger apps may be delivered only via a workaround requiring a Wi-Fi connection or tethering to a PC.
Age-verification will be required for some applications, the guidelines note.
“If your application enables chat, instant messaging, or other person-to-person communication and allows the user to setup or create his or her account or ID from the mobile device, the application must include a mechanism to verify that the user creating the account or ID is at least 13 years old,” the rules state.
Which leaves observers wondering, “If age-verification is acceptable for some apps, why not load an age-verification system on the front end and dispense with the content censorship?”
