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It seems Apple may be starting to crack down on some of the approved applications for the iPhone. The most recent casualty was the free app called Slasher, which did nothing more than offer an image of a kitchen knife and played a slashing knife sound when you shook the phone.

The app was initially submitted for approval on August 2, and it sat for just about a week before it received the initial approval and entered the App Store on August 6, however it did not last long as it was taken down just about a day later.

The developer did not receive any notification from Apple, it was simply removed, he then proceeded to contact Apple and was later informed that;

“Slasher has been removed from the App Store based on section 3.3.12 of the iPhone SDK agreement covering objectionable content.”

This ruling was based on section 3.3.12 of the iPhone SDK, which states:

“3.3.12 Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or
defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgment may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.”

According to the developer it was a “very simple app, made just for pure amusement purposes” and one that was either hated or loved.

Thankfully this was not a paid app, and while it may not have been the best of apps, should this really be considered objectionable? I would admit that its not in the best of taste, but I am fairly certain that Apple has at least some movies in the iTunes store that involve some kind of slashing. It nothing else, let it be included and perhaps add some type of warning for adult oriented material.

[artsiness]