Porn on Amazon Kindle? Amazon has been warned about the inclusion of pornographic information on its Kindle app, which youngsters may access. Apple and Google both stated that they had raised concerns with their fellow tech companies, claiming that such sexually explicit content could violate policy restrictions on their respective app marketplaces.
It comes after Reuters reported on the availability of pornographic content on the Kindle app, including novels and comics depicting sex acts and naked women.
“We’re committed to providing a safe shopping and reading experience for our customers and their families, and we take matters like this seriously”, stated an Amazon spokesperson.
Apple stated that it was collaborating with Amazon to “ensure their app is compliant with our guidelines,” while Google stated that it had “been in contact with the developer.”
Reuters broke the story after being contacted by two families who said their pre-teen sons had downloaded sexual content through Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service, which offers millions of titles for a monthly cost. The youngsters accessed the content through the platform’s iPhone app, which has a high rating on Apple’s App Store.
Although Amazon offers a Kids+ subscription, the families told Reuters that they chose Unlimited because it provided more age-appropriate books for their children to read. However, there are no parental controls, so any user can access any of the books available.
Porn on Amazon Kindle? How Could That Have Happened?
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing programme enables authors to self-publish. It uploads their work to its platforms almost instantly, giving them immediate access to the market’s largest player.
According to recent estimates, Amazon controls two-thirds of the e-book market, far ahead of rival providers such as Apple and Google, each of which have their own digital book stores. Amazon’s terms of service for self-publishing warn that offensive or inappropriate contents, including pornography, may be refused. In addition, prior to publication, the corporation employs technologies to detect some prohibited content.
Amazon has now altered the Kindle iPhone app’s age rating from four to twelve. It is now rated “teen” on the Google Play Store. Amazon also stated that parental authorization is required for users under the age of 18.