Apple Removes Vaping Apps From the App Store

Apple is putting the hammer down on vaping apps. The company is removing all apps on the App Store that encourage or facilitate the use of e-cigarette and vaping products that were recently found to be harmful for users’ health.

Apple has been taking actions against such apps since June. Axios reports that the company stopped accepting new apps that promote vaping since June of this year, and it’s now removing all 181 vaping-related apps from the store, citing the health-related issues.

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“Recently, experts ranging from the CDC to the American Heart Association have attributed a variety of lung injuries and fatalities to e-cigarette and vaping products, going so far as to call the spread of these devices a public health crisis and a youth epidemic. We agree, and we’ve updated our App Store Review Guidelines to reflect that apps encouraging or facilitating the use of these products are not permitted. As of today, these apps are no longer available to download,” an Apple spokesperson said.

Apple has never allowed the sale of vape cartridges directly from apps on the App Store, but there were a ton of vaping-related apps that ranged from letting users configure their vape, to vaping-related social networks which is pretty wild.

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Conversation 13 comments

  • Skolvikings

    15 November, 2019 - 11:48 am

    <p>This is ridiculous. I don't need Apple to be my mommy. Nor do I need Apple being my kid's mommy. My wife and I are perfectly capable of parenting our kids, and that includes monitoring their phone usage.</p><p><br></p><p>Secondly, this whole "public health scare" over vaping is misleading. The cases of lung disease from vaping are stemming from black-market products, mostly from people trying to get high off black market THC vaping products. Adult use of brand-name, store-bought, nicotine vaping cartridges is night and day safer than smoking cigarettes, which we know as fact kill people.</p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      15 November, 2019 - 1:11 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#489402">In reply to Skolvikings:</a></em></blockquote><p>Sticking your fingers into the light socket is safer then grabbing the electrical wires on the power poles as well. That doesn't mean it won't harm you and you should do it.</p>

      • Skolvikings

        16 November, 2019 - 8:05 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#489427">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>If people are already addicted to tobacco products and are having trouble quitting, vaping is a much safer alternative. By demonizing vaping over black market products, it’s likely that more tobacco users will continue using tobacco and suffer all the health consequences we’re all familiar with. </p><p><br></p><p>Secondly, the government putting restrictions on legal vaping, or outright banning it, forces more addicted people into using the black market products that are behind the rise in lung disease.</p>

    • behindmyscreen

      16 November, 2019 - 9:20 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#489402">In reply to Skolvikings:</a></em></blockquote><p>Get over it.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    15 November, 2019 - 11:50 am

    <p>I'm reminded of "The Princess Bride" where Inigo tells Fezzik, "You finally did something right!"</p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    15 November, 2019 - 1:13 pm

    <blockquote><em><a href="#489424">In reply to Speednet:</a></em></blockquote><p>Except Apple isn't the state. Enjoy Android since Apple doesn't allow a lot of things. It took me three times to get my iOS app approved because Apple didn't like a picture I used.</p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    15 November, 2019 - 1:14 pm

    <p>Who knew you needed a vaping app to begin with?</p>

  • simont

    Premium Member
    15 November, 2019 - 3:56 pm

    <p>Can you control an e-cig with an app? Otherwise what would you need these apps for?</p>

    • mattbg

      Premium Member
      15 November, 2019 - 5:02 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#489489">In reply to simont:</a></em></blockquote><p>I think some apps do let you interface with the hardware. You can monitor your vaping time. And of course some of them contain AI to let you get the best vaping experience 🙂 I do not know if they also contain machine learning.</p>

  • Thom77

    15 November, 2019 - 6:08 pm

    <p>well, I can't listen to podcasts Apple doesn't like, nor will they allow apps to use P2P technology so we cant have a Bitchute app, and now we can't have vaping apps. </p><p><br></p><p>well ….. at least we have gender neutral emotes now.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • Stooks

    15 November, 2019 - 9:51 pm

    <p>Good! Now if they could remove say Snapchat which is where 99.99999% of under age kids get their vaping products from…and other stuff like drugs and alcohol.</p><p><br></p><p>Of course they wont do that because it would KILL the iPhone market. Money is king.</p>

  • ghostrider

    17 November, 2019 - 5:56 am

    <p>Not surprised. Apple are very much 'health' focused right now, and don't want to impact sales of devices to people who might be buying them just for that. The high profile vaping deaths in the US (whether using official or black-market vape is irrelevant) might tarnish Apple's squeaky clean reputation, as they don't want to be seen promoting vaping. Bye, bye any and all vaping apps then.</p><p><br></p><p>Remember, Apple are your Mom, Dad, Grandparents and any other relative you have all rolled into one. They ALWAYS know best!</p>

  • androidblue

    24 December, 2019 - 5:35 am

    <p><br></p><p>This is very valuable information.</p>

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