It wasn't the kind of opening-day attention Apple likely wanted with its launch of the iTunes Store in Russia: Users who clicked on movie rentals in different languages were hit with a barrage of X-rated offerings, something Apple does not allow.
A Russian iPhone site reported on the problem, which happened Tuesday as Apple opened iTunes Stores in that country as well as in Turkey, India, South Africa and 52 more countries, bringing iTunes to a total of 119 countries now.
"Hacked or not, Steve Jobs has just turned upside down," said the site (in an obviously rough Google translation from Russian to English of the site's report).
Jobs, who died last year, was adamantly opposed to pornography being available on iTunes or through Apple's App Store. (He once told a customer in an email: "We do believe we have a moral responsibility to keep porn off the iPhone. Folks who want porn can buy (an) Android phone.")
So what happened in Russia? It doesn't appear to be a hack. The Russian iPhone site noted (again, rough translation) that it may have been that a "temporary" link, a placeholder, using "xxx" or some variation, may have let in the links for porn movies and for escorts:
Update: most likely, the problem arises because of links: the people responsible for iTunes, put the "temporary" link type xx.xx.xx. That's just such a site exists, and, as we have seen today, has nothing to do with the ideals of the company. Waiting for the fix.
NBC News has asked Apple for comment, and will update this post if we hear back.
— Via 9to5Mac
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