The Times They Are a Changin’ - Steve Jobs on ‘Freedom from Porn’

California Catholic Daily ^ | May 21, 2010

[GonzoII]

Published: May 21, 2010

The Times They Are a Changin’

Steve Jobs on ‘Freedom from Porn’

The following story comes from LifeSiteNews on May 18.

CUPERTINO. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computers, says his company will not be a party to the pornography industry and hopes that the iPad and iPhone revolution will help lead to a porn-free world.

Jobs reiterated his position in a heated e-mail exchange with Ryan Tate, a writer for Gawker.com, which follows news and gossip in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. Tate, who admitted that he was home alone and slightly inebriated at the time, took issue with a television ad calling the iPad a “revolution” and fired off an e-mail to Jobs.

“If Dylan [American songwriter Bob Dylan is one of Jobs’ favorite musicians] was 20 today, how would he feel about your company? Would he think the iPad had the faintest thing to do with ‘revolution?’ Revolutions are about freedom,” Tate wrote, not expecting a response from Jobs.

However, Jobs did respond to Tate, triggering an e-mail duel. “Yep, freedom from programs that steal your private data. Freedom from programs that trash your battery. Freedom from porn. Yep, freedom,” responded Jobs. “The times they are a changin’, and some traditional PC folks feel like their world is slipping away. It is.”

[GonzoII]

Are people jealous of Steve Jobs and Apple?

[library user]

Another elitist punk who wants to regulate everything.

[Bryanw92]

Is Jobs kidding?? The only thing that could make the iPad more porn-friendly is to make it waterproof!

[pnh102]

I can’t wait for Google to develop its pad device.

[Willie Green]

Are people jealous of Steve Jobs and Apple?

No, not at all.

I am done with Apple! iQuit! "Go Linux"

[WVKayaker]

This is a reprint and repost...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2516456/posts

[Taggart_D]

Another elitist punk who wants to regulate everything.

Watch yourself....this isn't regulation. This is enterprise. There is no watchdog agency demanding he do this...it is consumer demand. And I say more power to him.

I'm sick and tired of the filth that flows into my home through the internet etc....I'm sure this may annoy the porn addicts, but I'm sure there will be some enterprising individual to come up with a device to make such trash available in the same manner if the consumer is willing to pay for it.

Freedom is not your wish to get from others what you want, when you want, when you demand it.

[redgolum]

While I don’t like Apple products, I can respect this stance by Jobs. Won’t stop you from getting porn on your iPad, but does make it one or two steps more complicated. For some that will be enough.

[socal_parrot]

Internet access= porn access

[sand lake bar]

Jobs has the right to make a product that blocks porn. I wonder, though, what he considers “porn” to be. Does it include all those “soft” porn videos on Youtube? “Hard R-rated” movies? Where will he draw the line?

Frankly, I’m neither bothered by, nor an addict to, porn. But if I have a choice, I’ll buy the product that gives me the greatest freedom of access to information.

[GonzoII]

"Another elitist punk who wants to regulate everything."

What, a private citizen can't do what he wants with his own company? He can regulate it anyway he chooses.

[kjo]

Agreed...this stuff has been polluting the country for far too long...it’s not about the first amendment...there is no right to use “speech” to damage or vilify. Back in the sixties the Court somehow made this ok...community standards...only now its about the community of the world.

[MrEdd]

So Jobs is saying that Apple will use their closed architecture to allow only filtered internet now, something they could have done with iPhones, iPads, and iPods from their inception?

Oh He's not?

[hanamizu]

I might be wrong, but I think that many here are misunderstanding what Jobs is saying. Of course porn can be accessed on the iPad/iPhone. As one reply said access to the internet is access to porn. Jobs’s stand is that Apple will not be a party to the sale and distribution of porn through its distribution of apps via iTunes. It is exactly the same as a drugstore owner deciding that he will not sell adult magazines in his store. If Google makes the corporate decision to be more porn friendly, then I guess the market will decide.

[Moonman62]

I might be wrong, but I think that many here are misunderstanding what Jobs is saying.

I think you're right.

There's a difference between porn being available and porn being pervasive.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Frankly, I’m neither bothered by, nor an addict to, porn. But if I have a choice, I’ll buy the product that gives me the greatest freedom of access to information.

Besides, you just read the internet for the articles, right?

:-)

[docbnj]

I doubt that I ordinarily agree with Jobs on many political issues, but he is a remarkable and serious person. He has simply out-thought other executives in the tech field. He is right about porno. Apple products come with parental controls, which can be set by parents to block dangerous websites.

If Jobs has a sense of the harm and the degradation associated with porn, he is showing good instincts. Someone who has a hand in creating beautiful devices and good software does not wish it to be used for filth. It may be difficult to control what people do with your creation, but at least you can take a stand.

[GonzoII]

"It may be difficult to control what people do with your creation, but at least you can take a stand."

Well said.

[humantech]

Its interesting how irritated people get when you say you won;t be a party to distibuting filth.
How they point to their “freedoms” being hindered.
Sounds very much luck the Lefts use of the word “tolerance”
Porn has no useful function.
Its NOT healthy.
Its filth.
If you havent got that one figured out yet you are deceived.
The women and men in porn were someones child at some point.
Its powerful in its ability to degrade everyone making and watching it.
More power to Apple on controlling what they will and wont support.
Thoe of you who think they are wrong are strongly invited to make you own ipad like device and use it as you see fit.

[sand lake bar]

Exactly! ;-)

Can I make a confession here? Though I haven’t looked at a copy in 30 years, I began reading (yes, reading) Playboy when I was about 14. It was much tamer then and my parents seemed to have no problem. In high school, as a member of the debate team, I often used quotes from Playboy (political) articles on my evidence cards! I remember one in particular by former Sen. Frank Church (I know, I know) called “The Global Crunch!” (And don’t forget, Playboy interviewed Ayn Rand!)