Apple Pulls Controversial "Baby Shaker" App

Another reason to make sure clients are checking with their legal and PR team before launching any product that could be considered even potentially offensive.

Apple Inc. didn't win any votes with parents, advocacy groups or health experts across North America this week by offering a game called Baby Shaker to iPhone customers.

Reaction to the game was so vociferous that Apple pulled it from its iTunes store Wednesday – two days after it became available.

The 99-cent game, designed by Sikalosoft, was one of thousands of iPhone applications submitted by independent developers. It invited users to quiet a crying baby by vigorously shaking their iPhone.

According to an Associated Press story, once the phone was shaken often enough, the onscreen baby went quiet and developed large red Xs over its eyes.

Parents, experts and advocacy groups like the Utah-based National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome were quick to condemn the game, citing the real dangers of brain injury or even death that can result when an infant is mistreated in that way.

"I can't imagine why someone would think it would be funny to shake your hand (holding an iPhone) to silence a crying infant," said Richard Volpe, a psychologist and professor at University of Toronto's Institute of Child Study.

"It's inappropriate and very unfortunate to cast this serious problem in a lighthearted way," said Volpe, who co-authored an Ontario study on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

No one from Apple Inc. returned the Star's calls yesterday.

However a spokesperson at Apple's Cupertino, Calif. headquarters called the game "deeply offensive" and said it shouldn't have been approved for sale.

"We sincerely apologize for this mistake," Natalie Kerris said.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, violent shaking of infants is "a serious and clearly defined form of child abuse."

A study in Canada estimates 40 to 50 cases of shaken baby syndrome occur after every 100,000 births, Volpe said.

Some 1,400 to 1,600 American infants are believed to need hospital care every year after being shaken, said Marilyn Barr, executive director of the Utah-based National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Barr, who is also head of British Columbia's prevention program, said she was appalled to hear iPhone users were being offered such a game.

But she was pleased public opinion forced Apple to remove it so promptly

"Shaking an infant is probably the most dangerous thing a parent or caretaker can do," Barr said.

The iTunes store's description of the game began:

"On a plane, on the bus, in a theater Babies are everywhere you don't want them to be! They're always distracting you from preparing for that big presentation at work with their incessant crying.

"Before Baby Shaker, there was nothing you could do about it ..."

The text did warn that one should "never, never shake" a real baby.

THanks to Debra Black, staff reporter with the The Star Newspaper in Toronto.