Mom Complains About Kid Finding Porn at Apple Store
9:09 am, September 21st, 2009, Nicole Martinelli
Used with a cc-license, thanks to sabellachan on flickr.
Apple can keep the porn off iTunes, but it may be having a harder time keeping Apple retail stores smut free.
A 10-year-old girl was dragged, bug-eyed, out of the Apple store in Lakeside after her mom found her looking at porn on one of the iPod demo models.
“I called to complain and was told matter of factly by staff this happens a lot as people come in and download it for a laugh,” mom Helen Goodman told website the Echo.
“I don’t find it funny and all my friends think it’s disgusting, but Apple say there is nothing they can do to stop it.”
C’mon. There has to be a way to make the Apple store kiddy-safe — or maybe there’s something else behind the looks of wonder on those retail store field trips?
Via the Echo
Posted by Nicole Martinelli in News, Retail Stores | Comment on this article
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Apple should send a code to the retail stores that allows them to disable the internet access / mobile broadband on iphones in their stores. I know Apple says that there is not anyway to turn off the internet on their iphones/itouch, but turning it off is not impossible — it’s just something they don’t want to do. They may want to think about that the next time a parent finds porn on an iphone in retail store and decides to sue the store and Apple for failure to atleast try to prevent this from happening.
Drake, on September 21st, 2009 at 9:31 am
Wrap the kid in blankets and lock in the house if you want to ‘protect’ it that much.
Fact probably is, it already has seen and heard much at school by 10 anyway. Perhaps the parents should consider at what age they learnt about life.
We don’t know what is was that was ‘porn’ anyway. It could have been a woman in a swimsuit. Some people consider even that level to be ‘disgusting’.
Get a grip woman. Perhaps you’re happier letting the little one watch people shoot each other on TV each night?
Mark Rich, on September 21st, 2009 at 9:39 am
I bet this happens a lot at other stores selling gadgets that you can handle.The mother should get a life and watch what her daughter is doing.
Poppa, on September 21st, 2009 at 9:40 am
I’m surprised at the people blaming the mother. I think most parents would get angry. I don’t think it’s Apple’s fault either. It’s the morons who do it that were evidently never taught any manners.
Joseph, on September 21st, 2009 at 9:56 am
I agree with the above statements, but wouldn’t it also be very simple to put a porn filter on the store’s internet connection? Run it all through a proxy?
Gray, on September 21st, 2009 at 9:58 am
How about you have an honest discussion with your kid about the facts of life so they’re not freaked when they encounter this stuff? It’s the Internet Age. You can’t shield them from this stuff without shielding them from the world.
Julie, on September 21st, 2009 at 10:00 am
Stop letting iPods babysit your kid when you go to the mall. It’s the “Apple Store” not the “Apple We’ll Watch Your Spoiled Rotten Brat While You Shop Store”.
Jeff, on September 21st, 2009 at 10:08 am
Is it being done on the new Nano’s with the video cam? Because if it is, I hope it’s not that person in the above pic. And I didn’t mean the author
solar, on September 21st, 2009 at 10:11 am
I agree with Jeff above. Every time I go into the Apple store I see parents let their kids play with the nice computer stuff while they run across to the store of choice. It drives me nuts because their kids are left unsupervised. I can’t look at stuff because they are running all over the place. Apple isn’t a babysitting service. Take them to Chucky Cheese. Better yet you watch them – they are your kids.
HardenStuhl, on September 21st, 2009 at 10:15 am
@ Mark Rich.
That has always been my argument. I don’t understand why children are so sheltered from viewing sexuality when hopefully one day they will grow up and have sex. Yet it’s perfectly fine for children to watch war movies and play violent video games. I sure hope one day they don’t grow up and kill people.
Justin, on September 21st, 2009 at 10:20 am
Smells like BS to me. Those iPods are disconnected from any computer, so there’s no way I’ve seen to download to them. Without a computer AND iTunes you can’t do it. Even it you were devious enough to bring your own cable, you couldn’t update the iPod without the Admin password.
So you need a computer in close proximity, a cable, the admin password, and the nerve to stand there and screw around with the equipment in the middle of the store. Oh, you also need a way to get the smut to the computer, so you need either a thumb drive or a file uploaded to a specific website, which they can probably trace back to you.
(all but) Totally bogus.
imajoebob, on September 21st, 2009 at 10:34 am
“Those iPods are disconnected from any computer…”
iPod Touch doesn’t need a computer. It has wifi and Safari built-in. And the Apple Store iPods and iPhones are fully activated and working models. You could pick one up and surf all the porn sites your heart desires.
Gene, on September 21st, 2009 at 10:53 am
Just use OpenDNS on the Apple Store WiFi connection – easy way to kinda restrict instant access to objectionable content. Sure… you can get around it, but that takes planning. Will stop zero-effort porn bomb. Use OpenDNS.
Ben, on September 21st, 2009 at 11:22 am
Cool my local Apple store is in the news…..shame it’s there for all the wrong reasons, but that sounds about right for that wonderful area of the Southeast of England!
Fuzzypig, on September 21st, 2009 at 11:30 am
I have heard Leo Laporte recommend setting the WiFi or wired router to a “safe” web server, specifically for kids or public libraries where you want to filter such content. I only wish I knew the service, it’s free too!
BeachDude, on September 21st, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I concur with Jeff too. In the land of smug (AKA San Francisco), we have too many self absorbed parents who dump their brats off at the Apple Store while they shop elsewhere. With all the kids playing online games and being obnoxious, the Apple Store feels more like a day care center. I’m sure that babysitter is not part of the store staff’s duties!
How about actually watching what your kid is doing and taking personal responsibility whiny parents??
makan, on September 21st, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Another argument for the pro-side in the “why we need an .xxx top level domain” fight
Chris Waters, on September 21st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
*Ultimate Facepalm*
Peter, on September 21st, 2009 at 1:41 pm
I don’t condone parents dumping their kids in the Apple Store but when I am there to shop I allow my kids to look around as well. Apple should take better steps to ensure that kids do not have access to porn. It is irresponsible for them not to do so.
If they can take steps to keep kids from spending hours on MySpace, they can ensure they can’t get access to porn. If I can do it in my house, Apple should be able to do it in their stores.
Hike Every Day, on September 21st, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I would say, that the people at Apple are doing their best (even a bit to much) to getunwanted content out off the AppStore, but lets be realistic. You can get porn much easier by using a browser. How about talking with your kids again about what is worth and adequate to watch. I guess that would be much mor efficient than complaining about an AppStore failure.
Tice, on September 21st, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I actually work for an apple retail store and many of the ipod touches (in my store at least) are actually connected to computers.
But if we were to not allow Internet on the devices then people wouldn’t be able to try them out to their full extent. Do u really want to spend $400 on a device you can’t even truly try before you buy it?
We’re constantly having security throw people out for viewing porn on the computers. It amazes me how little shame some people have in public. There used to be one old guy who would come in and order and meet escorts there all the time.
Nebby, on September 21st, 2009 at 5:54 pm
@Drake. what is the point of having demos that don’t work. and are you so sure there it is so easy
to the rest. yes I wonder what the mother was doing. kids are dropped off or what over from the local schools to the mall where I work all the time. not a parent in sight.
they said demo which means it could be a touch.
a filter does no good since many malls these days have their own wifi which is not filtered and is actually not that hard to switch to on any computer or touch/phone
to Hike and others. it is not apple’s job to babysit or filter. they can kick someone out for loitering in many areas but that’s about all they can do. they do apparently have some kind of system set up where they can ‘reset’ the computers to the settings and content they want on them by restarting them and at least in my local store they do this after any time they boot someone for hanging out. which I was told on the sly is actually more about folks scoping to shoplift or to follow folks out and try to mug them than about porn.
Charli, on September 21st, 2009 at 7:28 pm
I have an idea. How about “parental supervision”?. 10-year-olds should not be turned loose in any store, let alone one full of expensive hardware. Maybe Mom should take a little responsibility too.
Mike, on September 22nd, 2009 at 11:21 am
Ahhhhhh, so what ….
She saw video of the most elemental natural action: fucking.
If she saw a video of somebody takin’ a leak or a shit,
there’d be just as much non-effect.
NO FILTERS belong on store servers.
Somebody might go pedo?
That’s the chance you take.
For the one fucking scumbag the rest don’t deserve to be limited.
CaryMG, on September 22nd, 2009 at 2:32 pm