PTC Applauds Apple for Responsible Corporate Citizenship

The internet and technology giant has consistently taken a firm stand against graphic sexual content…and the PTC is grateful. The February 9^th issue of the business magazine Forbes offered a profile of entrepreneur Noel Biderman, creator of the company Ashley Madison – a “dating” site which urges married individuals to betray their spouses and destroy their families by engaging in adultery with the motto, “Life is short. Have an affair!” The company’s website even boasts that it is “the most famous name in infidelity!” In the article, the magazine listed several companies which happily accept Ashley Madison’s advertising dollars and help promote the company. It also mentioned one that doesn’t. Apple. Apple creator and CEO Steve Jobs was an innovator whose work with technology has changed – and in many ways, immeasurably improved – the world; but he was also concerned about the effect his products could have on others, especially children. When parents complained about the availability of sexually explicit apps for Apple’s various mobile devices, Apple removed them. Apple also announced that Playboy magazine would also not be available on the iPad, despite attempts by Playboy founder Hugh Hefner to persuade the Internet company otherwise. Similarly, Apple has refused to allow apps for Ashley Madison in the app store. In 2011, Steve Jobs himself stated, “We do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy an Android." After Jobs’ death, Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook pledged that Apple would continue the company’s anti-pornography policy. The decision to avoid pornography and graphic sexual content carried with it a tremendous economic impact. As is clear from the Forbes article, there are plenty of corporations that are willing to profit from pushing sexually explicit content at children, promoting adultery, and destroying families; and Apple left a lot of money “on the table” when it chose not to. Nevertheless, it is the right thing to do – and we applaud Apple Apple is not a perfect company. The PTC has attended Apple’s shareholder meetings in the past company’s decision to sponsor raunchy television programming like Family Guy. We’ve called out Apple in the past, and we probably will again. But that does not stop us from noting when they do something exceptional. The Parents Television Council thanks and congratulates Apple on its principled stand and outstanding corporate citizenship – and we urge members of the public to take Apple’s courage and stand for families into consideration the next time they’re considering the purchase of a new smartphone or other mobile device.