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Apple exercises its right to refuse hosting a mobile app that offends
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Apple recently demanded developers make mandatory changes to an app that is marketed to high schoolers, following a backlash from parents and educators.
Joseph Peacock
Deseret News National
Updated: Dec 10, 2014, 4:00 PM
Published: Dec 9, 2014, 9:13 PM

Apple recently demanded developers make mandatory changes to an app that is marketed to high schoolers, following a backlash from parents and educators.

The app, "After School," uses location and Facebook data to determine which school users attend and displays messages posted from other students at their school. The app is completely anonymous," reports The Daily Dot.

The app's developers, Cory Levy and Michael Callahan, insist that their mission is to "provide a space for students to share gossip as well as important parts of their life they may be too shy or embarrassed to talk about otherwise," according to Re/code.

But the app has also served as a canvas for all sorts of inappropriate behavior by students. Several school districts "have sent home letters to parents and talked with students about the app (that) many have said includes explicit photos, videos and instances of bullying,"MLive reports.

"One user in Michigan posted that he/she was bringing a gun to school, resulting in a police and FBI investigation (thankfully the threat wasn’t credible)" Re/code reported. "(A) Michigan high school is petitioning to remove the app from the App Store all together."

The backlash against the app appeared to prove successful as "After School" disappeared from the App Store last week. Lass than a day later, it reappeared Thursday with updates.

"The app is still marketed to students and allows for the anonymous posting of messages. But an Apple spokesperson (says) that the developer made changes to prevent inappropriate and offensive content. The app now has a 17+ age restriction and users can flag content," reported Tech Crunch.

With the prevalence of hook-up apps and other sexual-based apps, one may be surprised to hear that Apple polices apps based on content.

"We will reject apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court justice once said, 'I'll know it when I see it.' And we think that you will also know it when you cross it," states the Apple App Store Review Guidelines. The guidelines further clarify that "apps that present excessively objectionable or crude content will be rejected."

Apple refuses to offer uncensored versions of adult magazines in accordance with its strict nudity-free policy within the app store, The Huffington Post reports. Other apps that have been banned from Apple include an app "that (notifies) users of nearby police DUI checkpoints," and a "game that allows users to drive a truck full of immigrants through the desert."

Some users are skeptical of Apple's arbitrary guidelines determining which apps get the green light. "I’ve seen all sorts of variants on the adage 'We reserve the right to refuse service' — again, generally a good thing when it involves removing the drunk and belligerent. But stores have also carried signs like 'We cater to white trade only.' A storekeeper’s prerogative isn’t unassailable," wrote Matt Peckham in Time.

"Sometimes the outlets through which we purchase goods or services — traditional or digital — get the rules badly wrong, and sometimes only time and reflection allow us to see why.”

However, one reader in Computer World argues, "Just because a store/company doesn't wish to carry a certain product does not make it censorship. Walmart does not carry any music that comes with a warning label for content, doesn't matter who it is or what type of music.

Should Walmart be forced to carry products it does not want to sell?"

The updates to "After School" didn't seem to change much, according to Matt Burns in Tech Crunch.

"High schoolers talking like high schoolers. … There was a touch of nudity in some of the pictures, but I couldn’t find a comment targeting another user in an offensive manner," he wrote. "Apple doesn’t let app producers get away with violating its terms of service, especially with displaying offensive material. I would expect the app to quickly disappear forever if reports continue to surface after (Thursday's) update."

Email: jpeacock@deseretnews.com Twitter: @thejoepeacock
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.