The Clean Reader App, which changes swear words and removes offensive terms from eBooks has removed all of the titles from its online catalog after protests by writers.
The app blocked profanities in books and either blurred them or replaced them with milder terms, much in the way movies are sometimes edited for television stations.
Readers had the choice of turning off the app or choosing between clean, cleaner or squeaky clean versions of works.
While many accused the developers of selling censored books, the people behind the app stressed that the eBooks themselves are not censored or altered in any way and that users can choose whether or not to have content they feel might be offensive blocked .
Many authors claimed censorship, while other said that blocking a reader from not looking at words they don’t care to see is censorship as well.
The developers said on their Facebook page that since authors did not like the idea of their books being sold within the app that they had immediately removed all books from the app store, though people who have already purchased books through the app will be able to read them.
The developers say they will be making changes to the app in response to the feedback from authors and users.
What do you think of this app? Is it wrong to clean up a writer’s work or is it nobody’s business how you choose to consume their work after you’ve paid them for it? Let us know in the comments.
~ Cynthia
I do not like censorship now matter what form it takes. An author usually has chosen to use a specific word as it fits the dialogue and the character of the person. If you do not care for the selection of words used by the author than don’t start reading that authors work! Leave an author’s work alone!!!
I think the writers need to “clean up” their act!!! Either that or shut up about the readers cleaning up after them. Not everybody wants to read the writers~!@#$%^&*(IO)_
(Censored by me). Some writers may tend to gravitate to foul language when a lot of us readers prefer not to read it!
I think once I buy a book it is my business if I clean up some of the disgusting language some authors use. there is some that have great books but the foul language is unnecessary. I have just stopped buying those kind of boos. I don’t mind a little nasty stuff, but some are just plain disgusting.
I was wondering what the Clean Reader would do with SHADES OF GREY books??