If that's true... guess I'll have to censor few episodes and redirect them 🤣
Is there a reason why there aren't other app stores available? Why does it seem to be only Google and Apple stores? Why no app stores for mature content?
I don't get it. I have an app specifically for playing mobile games so I don't see why there couldn't be other store apps.
Because there’s really only androids and IPhones. Google has android and and Apple for its IPhone. Since they're in control of the phones they decided to take complete control of the apps allowed in it.
It’s not that someone doesn’t want to make a new App Store. It’s more of they’d have to make their own phone, get people to actually buy the product, and convince people to make apps for it. Sadly, you know people won’t buy a phone they don’t recognize and just call it a Chinese knock off. So people aren’t gonna want to buy a brand they’ve never heard of and will have less features compared to androids and iPhones. Competition is far below to where no one can really climb up this ladder and is forcing everyone to follow the rules or to get out.
I guess what I’m trying to say is...
Monopoly™.
Yeah, they were sent things from Apple which caused manual removing, but the regulations from Apple are so goddamn vapid and indistinct and focused on certain tags that they're essentially removing shit that have a 1/100 chance of causing a negative effect on the app, when works like mine, which probably would have to be removed, but go under the radar since growth is so small and updates are so inconsistent.
I honestly wonder if it was your extremely censored and tame nude scene. But I can only guess at this point.
Hopefully over time we learn the details of what scenes cause comics to be removed to be able to adjust. But honestly, I don't really want to make adjustments for the sake of Apple. Most of our comics aren't for children.
Is deviantart available on IOS? They also have stuff on that should up the rating, especially since some people don't even tag mature work as mature. If deviantart is okay, then why Tapas shouldn't?
From what I looked up, yes, it’s on the IOS. Why it’s allowed? I don’t have an answer. I don’t know if things are censored there as well since I’ve never used the app but it is available on the App Store.
Bribery could always still be a thing? Bigger sites slip them some dough so their apps can slip by the culling?
I’m also not editing my works to become more viewable. I’ve noticed that it hasn’t slowed down my growth on my novel, so that’s good.
That's what I thought. After all the situation with Deviantart is pretty similar to Tapas, there is optional content that can be mature, there are options to tag works as mature and some people simply censor stuff. Deviantart is a bigger site so I'm not really surprised that they have money to get away with this, but it is still sad 
What???
It can’t be that the Apple team is actually reading ALL comics on the entire site... That would be.. Too big a job.
There must be some tags they are looking for?
@keii4ii what tags do you have?
Maybe they used content filters to massively scan bunch of comics. I'm gonna be honest, I don't know if a thing like this exist already, but...
Do you remember when Article 13 was being discussed and they said they conten uploaded to the internet would be filtered whether it contains copyright material? Now, they probably have something similar in place, like face recognition but instead it catches censored body parts, blood, people naked and stuff? Obviously it wouldn't be 100% correct all the time, but I don't think they would care.
I heard back from two different staff members. HoK got blocked because my male characters have visible body hair in the lower abdomen region.
While it would be a simple edit to make, I'm not going to do it. It's extremely important to me that my characters are portrayed the way they are, warts and all, both emotionally and physically. And body hair is often omitted because it's considered "ugly." I am letting my characters be their "ugly" selves. Muffin tops, body hair, huge disproportionate thighs, all of that stuff.
I don't agree with the staff/Apple decision, because you see this level of hair on men wearing family-friendly swim trunks. But at the same time... I understand they had to draw the line somewhere. And when lines are drawn, no matter how good the intentions, there's always a few unfortunate souls who get screwed. I'm one of those souls this time.
Worth mentioning, one of the two emails came from someone who had no obligation to reach out to me. His words were extremely thoughtful. While this whole situation really blows, that thoughtfulness means a lot to me, and will be remembered.
You're kidding right? your comic got removed because of body hair?
I'm sorry I can't understand this.
I feel our blame is misplaced here by blaming apple because, If you have on your phone any app that lets you post photos like pinterest for instance. just search for "shirtless men" and enjoy all those men with hair under their abdominal region.
Also I did some search into apple policy from their website.
Developers can rate their apps into 4 different age ratings.
Rating
Definition
4+
Apps in this category contain no objectionable material.
9+
Apps in this category may contain instances of the following content that may not be suitable for children under the age of 9:
Infrequent or mild cartoon or fantasy violence
Infrequent or mild profanity or crude humor
Infrequent or mild mature, suggestive, or horror or fear themed
12+
Apps in this category may contain instances of the following content that may not be suitable for children under the age of 12:
Infrequent or mild medical or treatment-focused content
Infrequent or mild references to alcohol, tobacco, or drug use
Simulated gambling
Infrequent or mild sexual content or nudity
Frequent or intense profanity or crude humor
Frequent or intense horror or fear themed content
Frequent or intense cartoon or fantasy violence
Infrequent or mild occurrences of realistic violence
17+
Apps in this category may contain instances of the following content that may not be suitable for children under the age of 17:
Unrestricted web access, such as with an embedded browser
Gambling or contests
Frequent or intense mature or suggestive content
Frequent or intense medical or treatment-focused content
Frequent or intense references to alcohol, tobacco, or drug use
Frequent or intense sexual content or nudity
Frequent or intense realistic violence
Link: https://help.apple.com/app-store-connect/#/dev269f11291
Tapas is rated 17+ yet you literally can't have anything allowed in the 17+ category?
And looking back on the infamous 1.1.4 policy from apple:
1.1.4 Overtly sexual or pornographic material, defined by Webster’s Dictionary as "explicit descriptions or displays of sexual organs or activities intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings."
Link: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#objectionable-content2
So excuse me when I say that this purge that's happening on tapas doesn't make any sense.
If this is seriously a problem for Tapas why don't they make use of the:
Unrestricted web access, such as with an embedded browser
Instead of the message that says just go look for the comic on the website?
Also why most of the wecomics removed on Tapas' 17+ are still allowed on Webtoons 12+ app.
Just think about it.