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Mon, 30 Mar 2009 iPhone apps glamorises gun culture, claims newspaper

Calls for Apple to ban iTunes App Store apps

Nick Spence

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Reports in Associated Newspapers owned newspapers claim a series of iPhone and iPod touch apps help glamorise gun culture, particularly among young people.

Led by London's Evening Standard, the sale of such apps has caused "outrage among anti-gun campaigners," claims the reports.

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Claudia Webbe, the chair of an independent advisory group for the Metropolitan Police's Operation Trident gun-crime force, told the Evening Standard: "This is hugely irresponsible in a climate when we are trying to get guns off the streets.

"I am stunned this game should ever have been allowed to have been made. We have spent years trying to get imitation guns out of shops and this sort of product undermines that effort."

John Beyer of mediawatch UK added: "In view of recent events in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, I think anything that glamorises guns and shooting is in extremely poor taste. I would hope that whoever is responsible for this would withdraw it immediately."

Listed as entertainment, the apps from French company Damabia include Boom!BOOM! Shotgun Pro, Boom!BOOM! Shotgun Free, Bang!BANG!, Bang!BANG! OG Edition and Tak!TAK!.

The apps are either free or cost 59p and have a 9+ rating on the Apple Store for "Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes" and "Infrequent/Mild Realistic Violence."

A press release sent out on behalf of Damabia last week describes Boom!BOOM! Shotgun Pro Edition as recreating the "childhood game of playing cops and robbers". The apps first became available in February and March of this year.

The "Apple distributed guns" were the main topic of conversation Monday afternoon on LBC radio, billed as "London's biggest conversation".

Apparent controversy surrounds iPhone apps such as Boom!BOOM! Shotgun Pro.

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Comments received


Ade said on Mon, 30 Mar 2009

I agree in general, but what about violent console games, violence on television or even toy guns?

Drew said on Mon, 30 Mar 2009

It's an application that plays gun sounds, get a grip. No one is forced to buy it and it causes no harm. Is there any evidence it has been used to commit a crime? Has anyone with a real gun been found with the application?

Actual guns that shoot bullets are the problem not phones that make noises.

If the application gets pulled form the store a simple webpage could do the exact same thing, play sounds on demand.
Why aren't the police calling for paintball or laser shooting games to be banned as well? How about the sound of fast cars, speeding is a factor in 3% of traffic accidents, how about not glamorizing those?

Steve K said on Mon, 30 Mar 2009

I've got no time for guns and find these apps disturbing ... but the day we listen to the filth that spouts from The Daily Mail and the Evening Standard is a black day for us all.

Bryan said on Mon, 30 Mar 2009

Were you short of news today? This alarmist nonsense comes from Associated Newspapers, home of the Daily Mail. Also involved are Mediawatch UK, and a brief look at their web site will show what sort of nutters they are. I wouldn't take anything they say seriously.

JC said on Mon, 30 Mar 2009

Seriously, with stories like this making news, I look at the UK media with increasing disillusion.

This story deserves no further comment.

AlanD said on Mon, 30 Mar 2009

Pure hype. I would be surprised if any of these apps last more than a day or 2 before they get deleted from phones once users get bored with them. I would put them into the same category as fart apps, and I have seen nothing in the press about those glamorizing fart culture and encouraging the young and impressionable to fart...

AlanD said on Mon, 30 Mar 2009

Pure hype. I would be surprised if any of these apps last more than a day or 2 before they get deleted from phones once users get bored with them. I would put them into the same category as fart apps, and I have seen nothing in the press about those glamorizing fart culture and encouraging the young and impressionable to fart...

Wozzy said on Mon, 30 Mar 2009

Highlighting the stupidity of Associated Newspapers is a good thing. Macworld isn't saying these apps are bad only that a tabloid is trying to stir up a story out of nothing.

case said on Sun, 12 Apr 2009

Awsome

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