Apple are under scrutiny from industry watchdogs following reports that several adult-orientated podcasts can be found on the iTunes directory.

According to an article published in the Wall Street Journal, the podcasts, also known as “porncasts” contain “raunchy sex banter, erotic storytelling and reviews of pornographic websites”.

Analysts say that the emergence of such content was inevitable, but Apple needs to be careful not to damage the company’s image with such material. 

“Apple needs to be careful to protect its brand here,” commented Ted Schadler of Forrester Research. “The editorial function is just getting more and more important.”

Apple refused to say whether it has received any complaints, particularly as there are no age restrictions on iTunes downloads.

But according to the WSJ report “the company said it could potentially pull programs that it deems too explicit, but declined to say whether it has done so yet.”

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