Daring FireballFeb 4, 2025
★ ‘Hot Tub’, a Hardcore Porn App for iOS, Hits AltStore in the E.U.
https://daringfireball.net/2025/02/hot_tob_hardcore_porno_app_eu
‘Hot Tub’, a Hardcore Porn App for iOS, Hits AltStore in the E.U.

So, no, Apple neither approves of Hot Tub in particular, nor the ability to distribute native porn apps in general. Everyone involved with both AltStore and Hot Tub knows this, but they also know that framing it as though notarization conveys approval is a good way to get headlines.

Daring Fireball
Show threadSupremePeter
@daringfireball Couldn't Apple sue for defamation in this instance since it never "approved" the app?
Feb 4, 2025 at 10:15pmWeb
Show threadamonduinFeb 4, 2025
@SupremePeter @daringfireball unlikely, if Apple wants to put itself into the review process with manual review of each app it is going to by very nature of that process engaged in approving it. As long as they don’t say Apple approves of the app Apple won’t be able to do much.
If Apple were to say, stop treating notarization as a backdoor to keeping app review in place, then they could legitimately say they didn’t approve it they just notarized it.