Macnn reports today that the recent banning of apps from the App Store, that Apple claims to be “overtly sexual content” in one way or another, will affect a whopping 5000 titles from a number of different developers. The source sited for the report is ChilliFresh, a developer that recently had their popular Wobble iBoobs app pulled from the App Store. The developer apparently learned that this during recent talks with Apple regarding their app being banned. However, there are other sources confirming these numbers with AppShopper estimating around 4000 apps being pulled since last Friday. With the removal of these apps also, apparently, comes a new set of rules for developers to follow when developing new apps or making modifications to their existing apps.

The majority of us agree that there has to be restrictions in place for developers creating apps that may push the boundaries of good taste or provide children with access to sexually explicit content. However, there are some serious questions being raised regarding the rules that ChilliFresh and others are claiming Apple has implemented in this recent blitz of banning. Among these rules, the developers site the banning of images of women in bikinis as well as simply references of “boobs, “babes”, or “booty” to be off limits. This might be pushing it a little seeing how Simply Beach, a UK swimwear retailer, recently had their app pulled from the App Store for “overtly sexual content”. Keep in mind there are also many popular apps that are not being pulled that seemingly have the same content that is being considering offensive in other apps, i.e. the official Playboy magazine app.

What do you think about the recent restrictions Apple has placed on developers? Should there be a safe, secure way to distribute adult material through the App Store?