Apple's got some 'splaining to do

I suppose it all depends on what type of business Apple claims to be running with its iPhone and App-Store. Creating hardware that must interact with FCC-regulated services means they are openning themselves up to scrutiny they have so far enjoyed avoiding by being only a "hardware company" in the computer realm. If the E.U. and FTC won't crack-down on Apple's practices, maybe the FCC will.

Just boycott Apple and all problems will be solved. As if we didn't already know that Apple is a closed/controlled-platform.

LOL trying to force a phone maker to add an app for free wifi phone calls. The FCC has to be the dumbest agency ever. Why doesn't the FCC do their job?

These male enhancement, alcohol, and KY gel commercials should be off the air between 8am to 10pm. I have the right to not be embarrassed in my own home. Its one thing to watch a show that you have an ideal of what to expect. A commercial tho pops up with a man and women taking about pleasuring each other while my child is watching. The FCC is boarding on incompetent and the TV channels liable.

Allowing the advertising of alcohol to my under age child is criminal. Should the FCC be investigated? The FCC has become the biggest waste of tax payers money this decade.

LOL trying to force a phone maker to add an app for free wifi phone calls. The FCC has to be the dumbest agency ever. Why doesn't the FCC do their job?

These male enhancement, alcohol, and KY gel commercials should be off the air between 8am to 10pm. I have the right to not be embarrassed in my own home. Its one thing to watch a show that you have an ideal of what to expect. A commercial tho pops up with a man and women taking about pleasuring each other while my child is watching. The FCC is boarding on incompetent and the TV channels liable.

Allowing the advertising of alcohol to my under age child is criminal. Should the FCC be investigated? The FCC has become the biggest waste of tax payers money this decade.

Apple rejectes competing 3rd party applications from their hardware? UMPOSSIBLE. Everyone and their dog knows that is a game only the Evil Empire i.e Microsoft plays.

who wants to bet nothing comes out of this except some lip service?

Then don't watch TV or look in a mirror for that matter.

This is part of a larger investigation to figure out if further regulation is needed for the new business markets like the App store.

It's about time the FCC was pro-active as far as consumers are concerned. Too many years have gone by with the FCC looking the other way while places like the EU have taken up the gauntlet for the consumers. . .vs. Microsoft, too. Good for the FCC, even if nothing comes of it. . .yet.

Sorry for the repeat toms likes to make me guess when i'm logged in.

But if the organization cant do their original job what in the hell do think will come of this.

US Cellular companies have been pretty cavalier about locking out cell phone features that they decided might cut down on their cash flow (though it seems Verizon is the biggest abuser).

The iPhone and many of these new smart phones are a nightmare for them... since they're essentially fully functional general purpose os's, people expect to be able to install what they want on them (as we should).

I think it's inevitable that these companies will lose control over the content installed on phones and instead of trying to hold back the flood, they should be looking to isolate cellular support from the rest of the OS so they can insure basic security and performance while not limiting the flexibility of these powerful little platforms.

News flash to cellular companies (and to Apple by virtue of their proxy role) - Skype running over wireless on an iPhone is NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS. Skype running over cellular is only their business in that they deliver the connection... what we do with that connection is OUR business.

Apple may need to control Store content for illegal activity... but they should NOT be controlling or limiting legal content. They're just asking for a law suit... as well as pushing more people to alternative content services.

Apple will simply explain that this particular app will kill just born kittens. They will say it is similar to the affects of jail breaking Iphones, which kills puppies. Their, done.

It is a result of leaving Skype approved but dropping Google Voice. Where's the consistency if it is not some form of malace or extreme competitive intent?

So it's bad to kill kittens and puppies but ok to kill employees al la Foxcon.

Yeah... but AT&T doesn't restrict what can go on their network... neither devices nor software. They do have a policy in place to not allow feature activation for accounts that have recently puchased a device for which they don't support that feature (like the old iPhone accounts that started turning on MMS before it was actually supported). That's not cool.

The same goes for the consistency of pro alcohol but no positive smoking commercials. The FCC already has its hands full and making a big mess for TV viewers.

"Over the weekend, AT&T responded upon inquiry, indicating that it does not have any say in Apple's App Store's approval system, but would now start looking into the matter itself."

Yea. Right. They meant to say that it is not yet easily provable that they lying when they say they do not have any say in Apple's approval system. Or at least it is not in a court admissible form of proof yet. Come on. Seriously.

If all of this leads to me being able to buy the new LG Choclate due out this quarter on AT&T then I'll be happy. Though I have to admit, I still don't think it's the government's job to get into a companies private business practices. If it's a monopoly that's one thing, otherwise leave it alone.

"CNN Money reported last week that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has now gotten involved"

Bleh. Never a good thing. I don't care who you are. Eff the FCC.

bull shit at&t "doesn't have any say in apples decisions" It showed up in an article last week where apple pointed the finger at AT&T, hahaha.
One way or another I hope this leads to the FCC saying "no exclusive hardware/carrier products". It's retarded that they even have hardware driven carrier sales, it skews the market and keeps companies that fail to deliver quality service alive and kicking.

you are a waste of the web server your text takes up. You had to buy equipment to get this signal into your home. therefore YOU PUT IT THERE no matter what the signal is. Moron. You don't NEED a TV you don't NEED a radio. you don't need shit, if you don't like the f-ing commercials go BUY a dvr that skips commercials. idget. quit bitching to other people about your ignorance.

No way, I agree with ELBERT. Those stupid commercials should be OUTLAWED. They are embarrassing around children and completely unacceptable. I pay TAXES for the FCC to make my TV watching enjoyable. Don't give me crap about free speech and "don't watch", that's very stupid reasoning.

I want the FCC to ban smoking, drinking, sex and female maxipad commercials for example. Ideally they'd ban political commercials as well. But the main point is regarding children, I refuse to explain to my 8yr old what male enhancement is for when he says "hey dad you should get some of that male enhancement, sounds like good stuff." My god.

The FCC is one government agency that actually does something. I was astonished that they did something when I was having problems porting my phone number to a new phone service. They got my number ported and even got my old provider to credit back the phone bills I got while waiting. They helped my dad fix his cell phone issues when someone illegally stole his number and reassigned to a new phone.

So I believe there may be some changes made in this approval process or there will be some hefty fines. The FCC has the power to stop AT&T and Apple from selling phones to new customers until it's resolved.

In other news, Apple Inc. tried to silence owners over self-combustible iPods:
http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+Uns [...] e15868.htm

It's not the FCC's job to make your TV watching experience enjoyable. According to your logic the FCC should also make sure that only shows that are enjoyable to you should be let on TV.

Maxipad commercials should be banned? ? ? I'm sorry everyone women after puberty has a period, unless they're pregnant. That's a very large portion of the population who uses such products.

BTW, all those uncomfortable commercials are paying for the shows you're watching.

Right back at you as you don't need an iphone nor a telephone. You buy the stuff that brings in apple so go away moron. The FCC isn't going to help you. I don't think any agency has that much funding to help you.
BTW there is no DVR on earth that skips commercials. You have to push skip and for that to occur you have to keep the remote in your hands at all times. Moron you don't buy the equipment you lease it as you have to return it or pay the bill. Your ignorance as to how these things work is border line childish.

Knowing the FCC this will end up with no skype. The skews in the market is like TV using these bad commercials to keep failed TV channels on the air. The FCC doesn't force tv companys to provide a la carte channel choices so we can kick these channels to the side.

Elbert and P05esto its parents like you who disgust me. When did it become the governments job to parent your children and why cant you take some responsibility as 1) controlling what your children watch and 2) educating them in a responsible way. Allow me to elaborate on these points.
1) You as the parent have the abilities to control what your children watch. Most major providers offer some kind of parental controls to block out shows with a certain rating or certain channels all-together. If your children arent mature enough to see commercials about alcohol, or products of a sexual nature dont let them watch channels or shows that advertise this. I have never seen an alcohol, male enhancement, or lube commercial on Nickolodean, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel or any other kids programming channel. Your move on this one. The only exception to this rule is sports which brings us to point 2.
2) This is where your job as a parent is to educate your children. If they see an alcohol commercial and ask what it is explain it is a drink that adults enjoy. If you see something you dont feel comfortable explaining something tell them it is something that they will understand when they are older but that it is inappropriate to talk about at this age. Oh and for the person with the maxi-pad commercials, how old are you? Its a natural part of a womens' biology and if you want to ban those you should also ban all diabetes, heart disease, and basically all medicine commercials as the maxi-pad or other feminine products are just a form of treatment to a natural problem.
Anyways thats the end of my rant.

That said I do think that apple should have some say as to what they do and do not make available in their own app store. They are responsible for the content and they, not the developers usually face the most complaints when something does go wrong. Still I think a better solution would be to officialy offer a competing app store that can offer things apple wont

danr22 its children or young adults like you who have no business telling parents how to raise anything. I all but know you have no children or just starting. If you are smart enough to lock a channel your child already knows how to unlock it and block you out.

Parenting became the governments job once they seen the need to charge us tax for such wastes as the FCC. The creation of public school systems was another step government made making it part their responsible.

Creating a bidding system for digital TV which makes it impossible to not purchase said channels. Disney is one channel I don't want my child to watch. Yes I have seen captain morgan's ads on these channels. The phones are on a bidding system as well which is part of reason we are limited on choice and have high prices.

I as a parent know its impossible to keep my child from changing the channel. I as a parent know my child can search on the net how to reset any TV box to get around blocks.

Educating our children on alcohol, sex, and ect... has already occurred by placing them in the public school system. Our children already know these things before 5th grade. My son sees an alcohol commercial he just smiles and cracks a joke. He sees these other commercials and blushes. Many channels have shows geared toward teens that have these commercials.

I agree with your last statement but the FCC isn't going to help. The FCC as stated is a joke and cause more problems than they fix.

Elbert your use of taxes as an excuse to exempt you from parental responsibilities is exactly the problem demonstrated by so many parents these days. Yes you pay taxes which does make the government partially responsible for the raising of your children but you seem to neglect the fact that you still have the final say and all of these choices are just that, choices you make. If you dont think the FCC is doing a good enough job really evaluate the commercial content and the content of the shows they are being advertised on. If you happen to see a Captain Morgan commercial during Spongebob then by all means you have a valid complaint as there is simply no way that is acceptable as the target audience is anywhere from 5-12. If however you see one during this "teen" targeted programming then look at the programs themselves. Many of these teen targeted programs have references to what you may consider undesirable things. Take Fresh Prince of BelAire for example. This is a show targeted at teens and yet it has alcohol as well as sexual references. If you dont want your kids seeing commercials like this then simply dont allow them to watch this TV. Furthermore TV itself is an option. I know many successful people who simply choose not to have a TV in the house or simply have a TV only for movies and their kids have turned out fine. Its a choice you make.
Your second example of public education leads me to my main point. You state that the public school you pay for corrupts your kids. Once again public school is a choice and if you really want to shelter your kids you have the option to home school your kids. Of course then you simply are protecting them from the real world but hey that works for some people. Coming back to my main point though the final authority rests with you. You make the choices as to what to expose your kids to. You can choose to set limits and enforce consequences with your kids and no one can take that power away from you. You also have the option to talk to your kids about these things and teach them rather than let them experiment for themselves. Sure it may be uncomfortable for both of you but numerous studies have shown that proactive parenting is the most effective.
As for the FCC maybe they could use some reform but they do serve a valuable purpose and are quite effective, perhaps not efficient, but effective. If we did not have the FCC instead of the occasional alcohol commercial we could hypothetically have an uncensored Girls Gone Wild commercial during Barney and I doubt you would appreciate that. These companies arent out to get or corrupt your kids. We live in a capitalist society and companies survive by selling a product and to sell they must market. The companies market their products where they feel they have the best possible market or audience and if your kids are seeing commercials you dont want them to see look at the programming they are watching because the ad reflects the programs audience. In conclusion the final decision rests with you and while the FCC isnt perfect it is better than nothing